


Safer, Sorrier

by chaoticamanda



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Intimacy, explanation inside, originally titled better safe than sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-07 17:05:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14675586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticamanda/pseuds/chaoticamanda
Summary: If there was one thing that Marco had learned while he was Star's best friend, it was that nothing was ever easy. Even when circumstances had provided a safe, convenient route, Star always seemed to prefer the hard way. Now that the two of them had managed to scheme a plan, which was half-baked at best, that would give Marco the opportunity to live on Mewni, "hard" would have been a godsend.





	1. Like A Shooting Star

**Author's Note:**

> hey!! so if you don't know, i orginally wrote a fic titled Better Safe Than Sorry a few years ago. i was going through a tough period in my life, and felt that i hadn't done the story justice, so i edited it and in some cases, rewrote it. some chapters are virtually the same, but the fic was written just as season two was opening, so many things are different than the current canon since we now know so much more about mewni. i decided to repost this fic rather than overwrite better safe than sorry because of all the constructive comments and the history i have with that particular publication. with that said, i hope you guys enjoy whether you are reading for the first time or coming back to an old story. i always love to hear what you thought in the comments, it honestly means so much to me. i have not actually written anything in just about a year, so hopefully this rekindles the flame i once had.   
> thank you for reading!!

Star Butterfly lived on Earth for one year and three months. It was exact—Marco had counted one sleepless night after she had left him to rule her kingdom. Four-hundred and fifty-seven days they’d lived together, fought together, and laughed together. She was his best-friend. He’d never in a million years deny that.

Marco Diaz lived on Earth after she left for three months, which was ninety-three days and counting. No monsters came after him, no puppies shot lasers at him through their eyes, no portals to different worlds opened up. It was peaceful.

It was depressing.

Star had literally blazed into his safe, quiet life like a comet, changing the way he saw things, giving him experiences he never could have dreamed of.

He’d saved people, helped them, and even freed them.

Star had done all the same to him.

All he had left of her was a vacuum that sometimes hovered by itself and a framed picture of the two of them. Marco found it hard to look at, but he felt guilty when he turned it over or away from him. It felt like she would know, and like he was trying to forget her. Like that could ever happen. Star Butterfly was impossible to forget.

“Goodnight, honey,” his mother murmured, her face lined with a concern that had almost become perpetual. It was no secret that he missed Star, and she worried that he would never stop feeling the sting of loss. He’d never bonded quite so closely to one of the students they housed, and he’d never felt grief in such a magnitude.

“Night, mom.” He didn’t look at his mother. He barely looked at anyone these days. They all had the same, pitiful look on their faces. He wasn’t interested in the sympathy in Jackie’s voice when she tried to talk to him, or the way his mother was always watching him with a frown.

The only thing that hadn’t changed was his passion for karate. Marco knew deep down it was because of some misguided hope that Star would return and they would go on fighting monsters together as if nothing had changed. He tried not to think about it.

Queens couldn’t do that sort of stuff.

No matter how hard he tried, he could never forget their goodbye.

* * *

 

“Oh...no…” Star was holding a letter in her shaking hands, sitting cross-legged on her bed. Marco was lying next to her, playing with a little buzzing thing that she’d conjured.

“What?” The letter had been spat out of the mirror that connected Star to her parents, and he hadn’t pried, knowing that she would tell him when she was finished reading it. The little object shook in his palm, rolling off of his hand.

“I need to…pack.”

He hadn’t understood at first, “For what?”

Star was swallowing a lump in her throat, and he sat up, fear beginning to nibble at his edges, his fingers curling tight as she spoke. “I have to go back to Mewni.”

“When are you gonna be back?” The fear progressed, sinking its fangs deep into him, intending to gobble giant chunks out of him, and he was afraid that he was going to be swallowed whole soon.

“I’m not,” she choked, tears pooling in her eyes, turning them glassy. They held for a moment, a bated breath, and then big fat droplets were rolling down her cheeks and there was no stopping them.

“What?” Marco struggled against his own tears, mind racing, “But...you’re my best friend!”

“Marco…” she moaned, covering her face with her hands.

He could see that it was killing her, so he didn’t say anything else. Marco let his own grief gnaw at him, forced himself not to imagine a future without Star Butterfly in it. She cried for what seemed like hours, and he just stared at her bedspread, tracing the colors over and over again with his eyes.

“Do you want...to go?” He asked finally, a hollow feeling in his chest. He didn't want to say goodbye to her. He knew logically that there had always been a day where she would have to leave, but…the thought of actually dealing with it in this moment was terrifying.

“No!” She blurted, caught off guard by her own ferocity. Star looked down, “Mewni...is my home. I never wanted to leave in the first place, remember?”

It hurt more than a punch to the gut would ever have, but it’s what she might as well have done. It felt like fingers had closed around his throat, squeezing the grief he was trying to suppress out of him until it threatened to bubble over. “But...I made so many friends...and I never thought I’d meet someone as important as you. So...no, I don’t want to leave Earth. But I don’t have a choice. Things…have changed. They think I need to have more training as a queen now that my magic is more…controlled.”

Marco gave her a watery smile, and she laced her fingers with his and squeezed his hand. “I don’t want you to go,” he admitted, silently cursing the crown.

“Marco...I’m gonna miss you so much,” she leaned into him, the pink hearts on her cheeks crackling as small little splinters began to fracture their shape.

“I...don’t say goodbye, Star, please.”

“But...I’m never--”

“Please,” he screwed his eyes shut as he wrapped his arms tight around her, as if that could stop her from leaving.

“Okay…” she swallowed, and then whispered in a wobbly voice against his neck, “I love you, Marco.”

“I love you too,” he whispered, clenching his fist. There was no use fighting it anymore. Star Butterfly was going away, and he was never going to see her again.

* * *

 

For three months Marco had been missing her, wondering where exactly she was and how she was doing. Training to be a queen was probably stressful, he had to imagine, but the people would love her. Sometimes he would look at the stars and smile, thinking of all the moments with her that had made him love her. Those times it was a little easier to remember her, the pain dulled around the edges.

It didn’t matter anymore, because she was gone and she wasn’t coming back.

Marco rolled onto his side and let out a deep breath. Maybe tonight would be the night that he would wake up and find out it had all been a dream.

* * *

 

The portal to Mewni was mesmerizing, a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors that gave way to a shimmering, warm image of the front of Butterfly Castle. Marco stared at that far-off place while their parents talked, trying to memorize it and picture Star there, older and leading her people.

The sixteen-year old girl was standing next to him, staring at her home—her kingdom. Star’s voice was not as strong as she would have liked it to be, “Are you sure…?”

“Yes,” He said firmly, his hands stuffed into his favorite sweatshirt. She was wearing one as well, an extra that he had given her so that she wouldn’t forget him.

“Then what do you want me to say?” She was clearly struggling to keep it together, her voice warping as she tried to remain steady.

 _That you’ll stay. That you won’t forget me. That this isn’t goodbye._  “You’ll be careful?”

Star coughed, trying to mask the tears that were rising in her throat, hanging at the edge of her words. “Alright, Wild Man.”

Marco twitched. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold himself together either. “Y-you know, you could always be a foreign exchange student here again.”

Star didn’t look at him, and his words hung heavy in the air. It almost seemed like it was going to be enough to choke him, put him out of his misery.

“Come, Starling, it’s time we return,” Her father came up behind them and patted his daughter’s shoulder. Marco felt panic rising in his stomach. His best friend was really leaving and they had only just started their not-goodbyes.

“You have our thanks, Marco Diaz. Farewell,” The Queen pushed her daughter forward gently and Star looked back at him with wide, teary eyes. Marco’s voice was lost as he frantically tried to think of something to say, something that would stop them from leaving.

The portal closed behind the family in the blink of an eye, like the passing of a shooting star.

* * *

 

“Marco?” A whisper from the hallway made Marco jump, terrified. It couldn’t have been real, and he wanted to hit himself for tricking his brain into thinking Star had said his name. That had been common in the first few weeks after she'd left. He could have sworn he'd heard a giggle from a room that no longer existed. He'd turn to say something to empty space, the realization that she was not coming back rolling into him again and again.

“Marco? Are you awake?” Hope was slithering into his heart, coiling tighter as he tried to half convince himself that he was hallucinating.   

“Star?” Marco couldn’t stop himself from whispering hesitantly back into the dark, shifting onto one elbow. It wasn’t like his parents were around to hear him if he was crazy.

The door burst open and she bounded in, well, as best that she could have. She was wearing a shiny dress, longer than the ones she'd worn on Earth, and a twinkling tiara with a diamond in the center of it that looked like the North Star. Marco swallowed as his brain tried to reconcile what he was seeing above him as she leaped onto the bed.

“Marco, oh god, I missed you so much! Hugs!” She wrapped her arms around him tightly, and he found it hard to breathe. He was too dazed to comprehend what was going on.

“Is this real?” He breathed, soaking the image of her in, the feel of her body against his after so many months apart.

“What? Of course I’m real, dummy!” Star pulled back and tapped him lightly with her wand, a radiant smile on her face. Her words set in and Marco shot forward suddenly, wrapping his arms around her just as tightly as she had.

“I thought I was never going to see you again,” he held her tight, feeling the fluttery beat of her heart against his chest.

“Oh, Marco,” he could picture her little smile, but he wasn’t done hugging her. “We...we never said goodbye, did we?”

He finally pulled away, “Yeah. God, Star, it’s been so boring around here without you.”

She looked happy to hear that, but something in her eyes told Marco that she was troubled. Star sat down next to him, tugging at her dress. “Marco...we’re best friends, right? I can tell you anything?”

“Of course!” Her attitude was beginning to scare him. He had to wonder what could have driven her to visit him in the middle of the night. Their separation had seemed so final before, yet here she was in full queen getup.

“I...I don’t like being acting queen, Marco. After like a month of training, my mom decided that I would learn better if I was actually being a queen, so my parents stepped aside and now they “advise” me,” Star made air quotes with her fingers, rolling her eyes. “I never have any time to myself, and I never get to kick butt anymore, and now...now…” She trailed off, looking sick, her fingers curled tightly into her dress.

“Now what?” Marco asked, concerned.

“I’m supposed to start making preparations to be _married_ ,” she stuck her tongue out as she said it, and Marco had to agree with her.  The thought of Star being married so young, strapped to some noble for the rest of her life made him uncomfortable.

“But you’re only sixteen!”

“I know!” She fell backwards onto the bed, so Marco did as well. He turned his head to look at her, watching the way the shadows slid down her face as she spoke. “It’s supposed to be diplomatic or something, but it just feels like another cage.”

Marco was quiet, afraid he’d say something stupid. Finally, he murmured, “Do you at least get to pick who you marry?”

Star laughed mirthlessly, “Of course not. I can’t be trusted with such a responsibility, and besides, I have a… _reputation._ People know I was sent away, and I’m supposed to be proper and regal and all traditional now—as much as I can be. I had to sneak away with some dimensional scissors just to get here. I just…I missed you too much.”

Marco smiled, glad that she had missed him as much as he had missed her. Still, she probably shouldn't have sneaked away to see him. “Won’t people be looking for you?”

Star shrugged. "Let them look. It’s not like my parents can’t guess where I am."

They lay in silence together, enjoying the company. Eventually Star asked, “How have you been here?”

Marco considered lying to her, but there was no point. “Horrible. I hate...I hate not having you around, Star.”

“How’s Jackie?”

“I don’t really talk to anyone anymore, so I dunno,” Marco blushed, realizing how stupid it sounded now. But it had been harder to remember things like that when Star wasn’t around, when he’d realized just how bland his life had been before her.

Star only nodded slowly, her eyebrows furrowed. They lay in silence once more, until one single bell was heard tolling in the distance. “I don’t want to go back, Marco.”

 _So don’t._  “Do you have to?”

Star sighed, “Probably. I wish…”

“What?” Marco blew his bangs out of his face, trying to brace himself for another heartbreak, to have to watch her leave again.

“I wish...that you could come back with me.” Star stared at the ceiling, picturing Mewni with Marco the Safe Kid.

“Well...what if I do?” Marco blurted, his cheeks blooming scarlet. If the past three months had taught him anything, it was that he wasn’t getting anywhere without Star. He knew that being a queen restricted Star from doing many things, like visiting him on Earth, but what if he could visit her?

“What do you mean?” Star looked at him eagerly, as if she didn’t really care _what_ he meant.

“What if I... was an exchange student on Mewni?”

Star only stared at him with a blank expression until she squealed, “Marco!” An excited grin crept across Marco’s face, and then he began to laugh along with her.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him off of the bed, bouncing on her tiptoes as she hugged him. He’d missed this. “I’m so glad I came back to see you, Marco!”

“Me too,” he grinned, feeling light for the first time in a very long time.

Star Butterfly lived on Earth for one year and three months, a total of four-hundred and fifty-seven days. She left Marco in his own dimension for three months, a total of ninety-three days.

Marco Diaz, however, was planning to live on Mewni with the Queen for as long as he possibly could. And then, maybe a little longer—just to be safe.


	2. On The Horizon

If there was one thing that Marco had learned while he was Star's best friend, it was that nothing was ever easy. Even when circumstances had provided a safe, convenient route, Star always seemed to prefer the hard way. Now that the two of them had managed to scheme a plan, which was half-baked at best, that would give Marco the opportunity to live on Mewni, "hard" would have been a godsend. The task they were dead set on completing was nearly impossible.

It had quickly become apparent that it would take a lot more than a giggle of excitement to get Marco to be an "exchange student" on Mewni. When their giddiness had lulled, Star had sighed, "I don't think there's a school on Mewni though, Marco. Not one that would help our situation, at least."

He felt a fire bloom in his chest at her words, born from the terror at the thought of her leaving him behind again and the need to prove himself worthy. "I'll do anything, Star," he murmured quietly, his gaze flicking from his bed to her face.

Marco couldn't accurately describe her small smile, only that he had seen it once or twice before. It always caused the uncomfortable squirming feeling in his gut that things were about to go wrong. "I missed you too, Marco. No one...I thought I could change things, that I wouldn't have to be just like all the other queens, but..."

Marco slid his palm against hers, rubbing his thumb thoughtfully against her fair skin. They were laying on their stomachs, their sides pressed together with their arms hanging off the edge of his bed. Holding her hand was less of an attempt at a romantic advance and more of a reassurance that she was still there, still real. "Is it too late?"

Star laughed, an empty, stifled sound, "I think it was too late by the time I was born."

"Well..." he frowned, "...maybe I can help. If I get there."

"Ugh," Star groaned, reminded of their current objective, "Life was so much easier when we could just ask Glossaryck when we had a problem."

"Agreed," Marco sighed. "Look, like I said, I'll do anything. I mean—doesn't like...your parents know me, they know us."

"I can't just have some boy following me around everywhere," Star frowned, "They'd never allow that. Decorum and all that. Especially with this whole marriage thing."

Marco was about to protest that he wasn't just  _some boy_ when he realized that he was right. He shot up, making Star jump with a disgruntled noise. "Star, that's it! The Blood Moon chose us, right? That means we're like, linked, for life."

Star looked unsure, and for a moment Marco thought he may have been too enthusiastic, that she didn't actually want him to come to Mewni, that he was just acting like a fool. "I don't know...we still haven't figured out what you'd do. It's not like we can just kick monster butt, like before...or—wait! _I_ can't, but  _you_ could! You could be like, my royal protector! My personal bodyguard! That way we could always hang out!"

Their energy was renewed, even though it was approaching two in the morning. "Yeah!" Marco grinned toothily, mirroring Star's own infectious smile.

They were quiet again, their minds thrumming with possibility. After a comfortable silence, Star gasped, "But what about high school, Marco?"

"I..." He looked away, unwilling to let anything spoil their plans. "School's almost out for the summer. I'll just take all my finals for this year, and then...go. We'll figure something out later."

"Okay," she nodded, taking his hand back in hers. "I can't believe this is happening."

"I know," Marco sighed happily, relaxing into her touch. It was dark enough that she couldn't see his blush, and he hoped she couldn’t feel it. Now that she had been there for a few hours, now that the shock of her arrival had worn off, he had realized how close they were, how desperate he'd sounded before.

His voice was reluctant when he asked, "Do you have to go back now?"

Star's eyes glittered in the soft glow of her wand, "I think I can stay the night."

He was pretty sure the relief that drained him was obvious, so he crawled off of his bed, stretching. "Do...do you want some clothes to change into? I don't want you to mess up your dress."

Star sat up too, frowning down at her clothes. When she looked back up at him, the glint in her eyes was devious. He'd missed it. "Mom would  _kill_ me if she knew I was leaving these jewels unprotected."

Marco shrugged, clenching his fists when his cheeks began to burn again, "I'll protect them." He moved to his dresser, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and then rooting around for a t-shirt. Marco tossed them both at Star, and she caught them with barely any effort. The ease of their actions relaxed him, made his chest ache with the familiarity of it all.

"Thanks, Wild Man," Star grinned, hopping off his bed, "I think I remember where the bathroom is."

"Okay," he laughed softly, watching her walk away. It was only when the door shut behind her that fear began to creep into him, and he almost convinced himself that none of it had been real, that he had dreamt the encounter in a pathetic attempt to recover her. But then she came back, wearing his clothes, her thick hair bunched up in a high ponytail.

"Just like old times, eh?" She winked, setting her clothes down on his dresser.

But then the fact they were in Marco's room, alone, in the middle of the night hit both of them. To say it was awkward was an understatement, and Marco started to trip over his words, "So, did you, uh, were you thinking, like, sleeping? In, uh, in my...bed?"

Her cheek marks were flushed. "Um, yes! Yes?"

"O-Okay." He extended a hand towards his bed, "Ladies first." He wanted to hit himself.

Star nodded faintly, and then took a deep breath, climbing into his bed. Hesitantly, Marco climbed in beside her. After a few, silent, painful, moments, they both adjusted comfortably. Their backs were to each other, warm and solid. Marco thought it was ridiculous how sleep had seemed so elusive before.

"Goodnight Star," he whispered.

"Goodnight Marco," she whispered back, and then softer, "I love you."

A few seconds later, "I love you too."

* * *

 

Marco knew his face was on fire, a burning beacon that beckoned all to gawk at. He knew it, but could do nothing about it. His father stared across the table at him and Star, a calculating look in his bright eyes. Marco's mother was puttering around the kitchen, but Marco could hear the force behind every utensil she set down. "So Star," Dad asked, tapping his fingers against his orange juice, "How was your night?"

"Oh!" Star dropped her piece of toast, fumbling as she tried to act cool. Marco narrowed his eyes at her, jealous that she had managed to keep her cheeks from darkening to anything past a dull pink. "It was, um, nice. I really missed Marco."

Marco couldn't keep the small smirk from twisting his lips, and his mother noticed. "I could tell."

Marco's mother had found them both earlier that morning, Star sprawled on top of him and his arm curled around her waist. They'd both been startled awake by his mother's disbelieving coughs, and Star had hopped off of him at an alarming speed. Marco's face had looked like a thermostat about to blow when he realized what had happened, and the color still hadn't faded.

It wasn't like they had done anything wrong.

Well.

They hadn't done what his parents thought they had.

"We have missed you as well, Star!" Dad ploughed on, "You should have called! Or maybe came by earlier in the day, so that we could all see you! You know."

"Yeah," Star laughed nervously, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. He thought he heard her wings buzz nervously, but he could have imagined it. Marco was still desperately trying to avoid this conversation, even though it was happening. "It wasn't exactly...a planned thing. Like I said...I missed you guys."

Marco noticed his mom seem to soften at that, finally turning to face Star. "You know you're welcome here, Star. We just wish you would have let us know you were here. We could have made up your old bedroom."

Star smiled at that, but it didn't look quite right. "I didn't--don't have much time. I'm sorry, Mrs. Diaz."

His mother sighed, and then walked around the table to hug Star, "It's okay, sweetie."

Marco let out a soft sigh, reaching for his own piece of toast. "Yes! And we hope you two used protection!" Dad laughed.

Marco choked on his food.

"Marco!" Star yelped, thumping him on the back.

"I'm--" Crumbs were still clinging to his throat, "--ugh, I'm fine!"

Marco glared at his mother's tiny smile, unprepared for Star's segue. Her wand found its way between her teeth and she murmured, "So... speaking of protection..."

"Star!" Marco cried, wondering what he had done to deserve such humiliation.

"What?" Star stuck her tongue out at him and then turned back to his amused parents, "Marco and I were wondering if you would allow him to spend his summer in Mewni, as a...an exchange student."

It took a moment for his parents to burst into laughter.

"Mom! Dad!" Marco huffed angrily, leaning forward. This wasn't a joke, this was serious.

"What?" Dad looked at him and blinked, wiping a tear from his eye, "Oh, you are serious?"

"Of course!" Marco looked between his parents, trying to ignore the way Star seemed to shrink back. "I want to do this!"

"Honey..." Mom looked between them both, "There's so many things that could go wrong! What if something happens to you? How will we know? This is much different than travelling to a different country."

Marco opened his mouth to answer and then shook his head, "I'll be fine! Star and I were always fine!"

"Marco," Dad raised his eyebrows, "You were kidnapped once. That we know of."

Marco waved his hand dismissively, "I was fine. Look, I'm doing this. Star just wanted to be nice." He turned to Star, holding out his hand, "Come on, let's go upstairs."

"O-Okay," she looked nervous. "Bye Mr. and Mrs. Diaz."

The two adults stared at their son, stunned. He pulled Star up the stairs and into his room, huffing. "I can't believe them!" He threw his arms up, shaking his head, "I'm like the safest kid around!"

"Marco," Star said softly, staring at the ground. She was still wearing his clothes, her dress and tiara folded neatly on his dresser. "Maybe they're right."

"What?" Dread plummeted down into his gut. He couldn't lose her again.

"What if you do get hurt? Because of me..." She turned away, her shoulders sagging.

“Star! Nothing’s going to happen to me, and besides, I’m a big boy!” Marco was mildly annoyed that no one seemed to believe he could do it, even Star. “I can protect myself.”

Star turned back to him, and he watched her resolve crumble. “We still have to face  _my_ parents, Marco. Don’t forget, I’m acting queen. That’s probably missing right now. Yeesh, maybe we should go see them, like, now.”

“Okay,” he nodded, trying to internally squash the steel butterflies that had erupted in his stomach, “Your parents. We can do that.” Marco took a determined step forward, before faltering. “Should you, uh, put your dress back on?”

Star glanced at the pile with a frown, deciding to position the tiara on her head carefully, but leaving the dress folded neatly. “I’ll change when we get there...now where did I put those scissors?”

The scissors turned out to have been under her dress, and they cut through reality just as easily as Marco remembered. The portal was a pulsing purple and a sickly brown, and Star grabbed his hand again before they stepped close to it. “Here we go…” She murmured, tugging him closer.

“Just like old times, eh?” He parroted back at her, unwilling to let his nervousness show.

Marco only remembered how disorienting hopping dimensions could be after they had done it. One brilliant flash of light later, they were standing in what Marco assumed to be Star’s bedchamber. Marco had just enough time to appreciate the ornate style of the walls before he fell sideways onto a large four-poster bed.

“Marco!” Star giggled, letting him pull her onto the bed as well.

“That was...fun,” he said unconvincingly, staring up at the ceiling as his stomach churned.

“When did you get to be such a lightweight?” Star laughed, and it was music to his ears.

He was about to answer when the heavy-looking wooden door burst open, a man in a colorful suit of armor staring at them. For the second time that day, Star jumped off a bed they were sharing with such speed Marco suspected her wings had to be involved.

The man stared at him for half a beat before rushing in-between Star and Marco and crying out to what Marco presumed to be guards, “I’ve found the Queen!”


	3. Acceptance

Marco had seen Star irritated before. Hell, he’d probably seen every tick on the spectrum of her emotions. He’d even seen her full of pure, focused rage, once. Despite that, Marco didn’t think he could say he’d seen  _this_ before.

Star had drawn herself to her full height, which was still a few inches shorter than him, straight-backed and regal. The guard, a man Marco later found out was named Victor, had attempted to restrain Marco while still shielding his queen. Marco was too stunned to resist, letting his arms be pinned behind him as he was pushed into the silky bedspread. Victor, who’s armor reminded Marco almost of a deep purple, swirling nebula, would not stop barking commands at Marco. “Stay still you…you trespasser!”

“Unhand him at once, Victor,” Star’s voice was dangerously low. Marco wondered how long it would be before the other guards finally showed up.

Victor twisted, the metal plates encasing his fingers digging into Marco’s arms. Annoyed, he tried to wriggle out of the guard’s grasp. He couldn’t believe that  _twice_ he and Star had been “caught” in their own bedrooms! “Your Majesty,” Victor protested, “This...this scoundrel stole you from your own chambers! Who knows what he’s tricked you into thinking!”

“Hey!” Marco complained, twisting to look back at Victor, “I’m not a scoundrel! Or a trespasser!”

“Quiet,” Victor snapped, and Star’s eyebrows tried to ascend to another plane, it seemed. She looked to be on the point of seething, and Marco felt guilty for thinking she looked kind of funny in sweatpants and a tiara with that face.

“Victor—” Star was cut off by two more guards hurling themselves into the room. They too were wearing shimmering suits of armor, the only difference being color-- one orange and one blue.

“Your Majesty!” The orange one cried, her voice full of relief, “You are all right!”

The blue one looked at Marco and Victor and gave a toothy grin, “Gaige is going to have a fit when he sees that a puny little boy is what got past our defenses.”

“Hey!” Marco protested, beginning to struggle again. He was starting to get annoyed-- after all, Star had taken him here herself. He knew there was going to be consequences for her absence, sure, but he didn’t imagine it would be this extreme.

Star’s gaze was bouncing between the three guards before it settled back on Victor, “I told you to unhand him, Victor. Are you disobeying a direct order?”

Her tone sent shivers down Marco’s back. He kind of liked it.

“Your Majesty,” Victor tried again, his voice weaker, “You were missing. The castle is locked down. It’s our duty to protect the kingdom from unknown individuals.”

“I would just listen to her, man,” Marco offered with a cringe, not needing to see Star to know that the guard’s words had only made her angrier. Victor’s grip only tightened on Marco’s arms.

“Prisman Victor Ion, if you do  _not_ release Marco Diaz in two seconds, I will not  _hesitate_ to have you punished for insubordination. You are trying my patience, Victor, and you do not have long before I  _lose_ it,” Star’s voice was cold and sleek, and even Marco had to admit she was intimidating. It reminded him of the older times when they barely had any idea what they were doing. The other two guards seemed to be stunned as well, looking at their fellow guard with fear.

“Dude, just let him go!” The blue one pleaded, stepping forward to pry Marco out of Victor’s hands. The other guard left a soft hand on Marco’s shoulder, easily within squeezing range if Marco tried to escape.  

“I…” Victor looked at his queen, “I apologize, Your Majesty. Forgive me, I was merely trying to protect you.”

Star softened when she saw that Marco was released, and she beckoned him closer. Marco grinned, sliding out of the blue guard’s light hold and stepping closer to her. “You are forgiven this time, Victor, but do  _not_ let it happen again.”

Star turned to Marco, ignoring the confused looks of all her guards. “I need to change, but then we can talk to my parents. Just...I’ll have them take you to the Hall.”

“Okay,” he nodded, side-eyeing the others, “Are you sure they’re not going to lock me up?”

Star smirked at him, twirling her wand, “You’ve gotten out of worse before.”

“I guess you’re right,” he sighed, resigned to the fact that things on Mewni seemed to be even more difficult than on Earth. At least he knew the laws on Earth-- this place was almost like being thrown into the dark ages...but with less dark.

“Ben, Ophelia,” Star ignored Victor and addressed the other two. “Please escort Mr. Diaz directly to the Hall. Victor, go lift the lockdown and inform my parents that I would like an audience with them. That’s all.”

Star turned to walk into what looked like a walk-in closet on the other side of the room, leaving Marco with the guards. He tried not to gulp.

“I don’t trust you, boy,” Victor hissed, “Whatever you’re playing at, it’s not going to work.”

“Rude,” Marco frowned, looking between the guards. He turned away from Victor, facing the orange and blue guards, “I’m Marco.” Victor pushed past Marco and out of the door, his lips set in a hard line.

The blue one looked him up and down before using his index and middle finger to make a swirling motion up away from his chest, “I am Benaiah Kykol, Prisman of the Color Guard.”

Marco tried not to let his confusion show, turning to look at the orange guard who was staring at him nervously, “What about you?”

“My name is Ophelia Citre, Prisman of the Color Guard,” she glanced at Victor before doing the same hand gesture as Benaiah. “Allow us to escort you before the Queen returns.”

“Okay,” Marco nodded, heading for the door. He had been to the castle a few, short times before, but obviously not since Star had become queen. The floors were all a sharp white, and it hurt his eyes if he looked at it for too long. Marco was struck by sudden terror at the thought of scuffing the pristine floor.

“Marco, was it?” Benaiah asked, walking two steps behind Marco, “You must understand how incriminating this whole thing appears. So, pray tell, if you didn’t steal, defile, or attempt to dethrone our queen, what were you doing in her room?”

A blush bloomed across Marco’s cheeks, and he suddenly found the whole debacle this morning a lot easier to deal with. At least he could deal with parents, or just storm off to his room. Here, he was lost without Star, “Well, I was brought here by Star--”

He was interrupted by a sharp jab to his shoulder by Ophelia. She glared at him, “Are you so arrogant to speak her name without her title?”

Marco rubbed his shoulder, frowning, “I...I didn’t know I needed to.”  _She only slept on top of me last night._ “Are you guys this mean to all of your guests?”

Benaiah laughed, “You are definitely not a guest. If Her Majesty hadn’t ordered Victor to unhand you, you’d be on your way to the Sinking Place by now.”

By the time they got to the Hall, a place that Marco recognized from his previous visits, Star’s parents were already there. Victor was speaking to them, and behind the couple stood four more guards in those mesmerizing suits of armor. “I urge you to use your magic to rid Her Majesty of any spells or curses that intruder may have put upon her. She seemed adamant that he not even be brought in with the slightest force. I do not trust him, or that the castle is safe. Her Majesty was  _missing--”_

“Victor! Your Excellencies!” Benaiah called as they approached, “I introduce...er, Marco.”

Marco could tell the exact moment that Star’s parents recognized him; Moon Butterfly narrowed her eyes and River Butterfly’s eyebrows rose the same way that Star’s did. “ _This_  is the “intruder”?” Moon coughed, looking from Marco to Victor.

River did not wait for an answer, instead hopping from his perch and hustling down to Marco, “Marco, my dear boy! How pleasant a surprise!”

“Mr. Butterfly!” Marco beamed, hoping that they wouldn’t comment on how much he was blushing. The guilt he felt at sleeping next to Star last night was abrupt, and he was sure that someone in this room had to be able to read minds. “S-Sorry to cause all of this trouble!”

River pulled Marco into a crushing hug, made awkward by their height difference. Moon was rolling her eyes at them, and Marco felt a small surge of satisfaction at Victor’s shocked face. “What...what is going on?” Victor spluttered.

“There is no need for alarm, Prisman,” Moon answered, and she sounded very tired. “I expect that the Queen has been...claimed by her impulsiveness.”

Star swept in from a different direction than Marco had come in, wearing a puffy sea-foam colored dress and clutching her wand tightly in her hand. When she saw Marco and her father, a blinding smile lit her face, and it produced a bubble of warmth in Marco’s chest. “I apologize for...inconveniencing everyone. I was away on...an errand,” she spoke mostly to her parents, but the other guards were practically hanging off of her words, “I had to claim Marco Diaz.”

River led Marco closer to the small platform where Star and Moon were. “And for what purpose have you claimed him, Starling? I’m sure it was unexpected.”

Star’s gaze shifted to Marco, and he gave her an encouraging nod, “I propose that Marco Diaz fill the role of Lord Protector.”

They didn’t laugh, which Marco appreciated.

They stared blankly at their daughter before Moon let out an undignified, “What?”

“Well, as you know,” Star began to speak quickly, nervously, “Marco and I are bonded by the Blood Moon, making him a perfect fit for the role. He also spent a year p-protecting me and fighting off those who wanted the wand. I think allowing him to protect me now, formally, would be an excellent way to repay his service. Mom. A-And Dad.”

Marco noticed all the guards around him shift uneasily, unsure of what their Queen was proposing. “Star, Marco is  _human_ ,” Moon looked around the Hall, pointing out a tapestry on the far wall, “and there hasn’t been a Lord Protector in generations.”

“I trust Marco with my life,” Star responded sincerely, sparing him a look. He felt his lips twitch into a genuine smile, touched by her sentiment. “So have you.”

Moon narrowed her eyes again, and this time it was River that spoke up, “Starling, Marco has a life in another dimension.”

Marco, feeling that fire begin to flicker to life again, stepped forward, murmuring a firm, but quiet, “Please.”

Star offered him a grateful smile, and the fire roared inside of him. He couldn’t lose her again.

The former King and Queen looked at one another for a few moments, communicating silently, before the Queen finally sighed, “I suppose this can be arranged.”

“What?” Marco’s jaw dropped, and Star squealed.

“Thank you!” She practically ripped her mother into a tight hug, “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mom!”

“Not so fast, Darling,” Moon leaned away from her daughter, but Marco could see the tiny smile pulling at her blue lips, “We will need to work out the details and figure out how the Lord Protector is to be inducted. This process will take a few days at least.”

“That—That’s fine!” Marco nodded vigorously, “Thank you so much for this opportunity!”

“You Excellencies!” Victor protested, his eyes ping-ponging between all of the other people in the room, “Think about this!”

“Leave the diplomacy to us,” River said firmly, frowning at the guard, “We appreciate your concern, but you have no standing to question us.”

“Wow,” Benaiah said, and Marco turned back to look at him, “I was definitely not expecting  _that.”_

“Wait,” a guard in yellow spoke with confusion, “Who the heck is Marco?”

Star had leaped off of the platform, pulling Marco into a crushing hug. He was a little embarrassed, not by the hug itself, but that all the guards were looking at him with different threats in their eyes. Star, apparently unfazed, pulled back and giggled, “This is gonna be so fun, Marco!”


	4. Uncharted Territory

When her parents had taken their leave, Star began to introduce Marco to the others. She was not quite Star-like, decorum preventing her from ruining her image any further, but he didn’t care. “These people are my personal protection detail, known as The Color Guard. You’ve already met Victor, Ben, and Ophelia. These four are Ysa,” she pointed to a woman with dirty-blond, curly hair and eyes so light that they almost looked white, “Gaige,” a boy with very bushy brown hair and hazel eyes, “Roy,” this man looked to be around Victor’s age, with short salt and pepper hair, “and finally, Ira,” the last person in line, who looked to be the youngest. She had streaks of silver in her otherwise auburn hair, and it was twisted elegantly behind her head.

The guards each did that little salute thing with their fingers as Star introduced him, and Marco offered them a nervous smile back. Star let her hand drop delicately onto Marco’s shoulder, and he knew that his eyes were not the only ones that were drawn to it, “This is Marco Diaz of Earth. While I was...abroad, he protected me. I expect you to treat him with respect.”

The guards all nodded stiffly, but Marco could see that Victor and a few of the others were still looking at him suspiciously. He couldn’t find it in himself to care, because finally, after months, he was back at Star’s side. Marco could make this work, no matter what he had to do.

“I’ll be giving Marco a tour of Mewni today, but I would prefer not to have to bring the whole Guard,” Star chewed on her lip, looking down at her wand, “Ira, Ben, Roy...would you mind accompanying me for this journey?”

“Of course not, Your Majesty,” Roy stepped forward, his fist coming to rest over his heart, “Should I prepare the carriage?”

“Oh…” Star seemed disappointed, but nodded anyway, “Yes, that will be fine. We’ll be waiting at the door.”

Roy nodded and gestured for Ben and Ira to follow him. The other guards-- Prismans, they had called them-- stood still, waiting for instruction. Star looked from them to Marco before sighing, “Ophelia, could you open the family tome? It could be, um, helpful here.”

“Of-- Of course, Your Majesty,” Ophelia glanced at Victor before turning back the way she had led Marco earlier.

“Y--Your Majesty?” Victor stepped forward, glancing between Star and Marco, “Are you sure you should go out? Wouldn’t it be safer--”

“I’m the only Mewman here accustomed to Earth culture, which means that I can help Marco understand what he doesn’t,” Star said sharply, her fingers tight around her wand. Marco’s eyebrows drew together-- Star seemed like she was upset. Her being formal was one thing, but she seemed almost defensive now.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Victor bowed his head, his fists clenched, “Safe travels.”

“Your…” Star seemed to struggle in finding the right word, “...concern is appreciated.”

“Marrrrrrcoooo, is that  _you_ , my dear boy?”

Marco flinched, visibly paling at the sharp, familiar voice. The other guards seemed surprised at the little blue six-fingered creep, but really, Marco should have expected it. Ophelia had re-entered the Hall, clutching Star’s well-worn guide. “Who is  _that?”_ Ysa blurted.

“It’s the Queen’s magical guide!” Gaige answered, staring at Glossaryck with wide eyes, “He’s only supposed to emerge in times of magical distress!”

Glossaryck was zooming right towards Marco with his tiny little arms outstretched, his mouth wide open.

Marco swatted him out of the air like he was nothing but an annoying mosquito.

“That was very  _rude!”_ Glossaryck crowed as he shot towards the ground, struggling to right himself. Before Marco could retort, Ysa had shot forward, her long fingers wrapping tightly around his arm.

“You should be punished for that!”

“You’re only saying that because you don’t know him,” Marco glared at Glossaryck, who stuck his tongue out at Marco.

“Ysa!” Star said sharply, glaring at her hand, “Did I not just ask that Marco be treated with respect?”

Ysa began to shrink back, but then thought better of it, “What about him? Has he no respect for our laws, our rules?”

Marco did begin to feel a little guilty at that, but Star just laughed, “If there is anyone with a respect for rules, it’s  _Marco!”_

“Star…” Marco groaned, trying to ignore the way that Ysa’s grip tightened, “I mean,  _Your Majesty_.”

Marco was pleased by the way the hearts on her cheeks darkened, and the undignified giggle she let out. “Marco…”

“Shouldn’t we start the, uh, tour?” Marco cut her off, shrugging off Ysa. Glossaryck flew up to Marco’s shoulder, hovering there.

“Maybe we can pick up some brunch. I’m starving.”

“Ugh,” Marco rolled his eyes, following Star to the door. “I can’t believe I missed you, like, even a little.”

Glossaryck made a choking sound before his pupils began to blow out, “Gasp! You missed me?” Glossaryck floated right in front of Marco’s face, his head in his hands, “That’s a little clingy, don’t’cha think?”

Marco rolled his eyes again, pushing Glossaryck out of the way.

The carriage had only started rolling forward when Star began to point out things outside of the window. She was sitting across from Marco, Ben next to her and Ira next to him. Roy was seated outside of the carriage, a little perch on the front of it, behind the giant, invisible goat pulling them. “This is called The Deck. We’ve been here before,” she reminded him, “It’s mostly where visitors stay when they come to the Kingdom for business—pretty much temporary quarters.”

Marco stared out of the window, looking at the dusty settlement. There were a few tents pitched along the road, and some strange animals in pens, but Marco couldn’t see any people. “The Kingdom is separated into, like, four parts. Like...city blocks, but much more uneven,” Star continued, “The closest to the castle, after The Deck, is the Diamond District.”

“Our families came from there,” Ben supplied, gesturing outside to the clean streets. It almost reminded Marco of a quaint little tourist village, except it was shinier.  He could see a few children huddled together, examining something sparkly.

“It’s mostly reserved for other nobles…” Star chewed on her lower lip, glancing outside again. “Unless you do something, like, really great for Mewni. Then you get to live in the Diamond District.”

“What does “really great” mean?” Marco asked, brow furrowing.

Ira was the one to speak up, albeit timidly, “Recently, Oberon Ghelle caught a murderer.”

Marco choked on his spit, “Whoa, whoa, whoa,  _what?”_

Star made a face like she had tasted something bad, but Ben leaned forward excitedly. “Oberon exposed a butcher down in The Club District. The guy’d been killing innocent Mewmans who didn’t like his meat.”

“How did Oberon expose the—the butcher?” Marco leaned forward, enraptured.

“Well...Oberon walked in on the butcher-- we used to call him Smiles-- killing his own father.  By the time the patrolling guards got there, Oberon had killed Smiles in self-defense,” Ben gestured wildly with his hands as he told the story, and Marco’s eyes flicked over to Star when he noticed she had wrapped both of her arms tightly around her middle.

“Oberon was rewarded with Diamond District estate because of what he’d found. He lives two plots down from my family,” Ira murmured, staring out at the passing streets.

Ben leaned back in his seat, “Yep, now his legacy is secure.”

“Secure?” Marco asked, blinking rapidly when Glossaryck poked him in the cheek.

“A diamond lasts forever,” Glossaryck warbled, “and so law dictates that a person's claim will too.”

“Oh,” Marco sat back, trying to soak in the information, “Do...do murders happen  _often_ around here?”

Ira pursed her lips, her gaze shifting to Marco. “Mewmans know peace. Monsters do not.”

Star stared at him, and Marco couldn’t help the nervous twist in his stomach. He’d fought monsters before, he knew they lived in the swamps. He knew that they could be ruthless, sadistic creatures—like  _Toffee._

He knew they could be reasonable, like Buff Frog--  _Yvgeny._

Marco nudged Star with his foot and she offered him a small smile, but he could see that she was very much upset about something. “So... what do you guys do for fun?”

“Fun?” Ira repeated, tilting her head. “I suppose most children play in the market, around The Club District. But we’re only in The Heart District.”

“Oh,” Marco looked outside again, and was surprised in the stark contrast in color and architecture. Everything was very green and very yellow at the same time, and the rows of square houses almost reminded Marco of his own. He said as much, which made Star perk up, “This reminds me of my neighborhood a little bit.”

“Good!” Star grinned, drawing a shared look between Benaiah and Ira, “This is where most of the shop-owners and workers live.”

Ben cleared his throat before he leaned across the carriage and tapped Marco’s knee, “So, uh, Marco, how exactly do you know Her Majesty again?”

“Oh,” Marco scratched the back of his head, a blush spreading across his cheeks, “We lived together, she’s my best friend.”

“Uh...uh huh,” Ben nodded slowly, “On...Earth, right?”

“Yep!” Star sent Marco a pointed look, “Marco escorted me to my lessons every day...peacefully. With absolutely no problems. At all.”

Marco tilted his head, but he trusted her, so he just nodded along. “Sometimes the King visited too.”

“Yeah,” Star let out a little giggle, “Earth is a very...welcoming place.”

“Have you ever fought a monster?” Ira asked suddenly, turning sharply to look Marco in the eye.

He glanced at Star before nodding, “Uh, yeah.”

“Yeah?” Ira looked surprised, her eyebrows tilting.

“I…visited Mewni once.” Marco offered no more, aware of Star’s hot gaze.

“Those vile things…” Ira hissed, “They are relentless in their pursuit of terror.”

Reminded once again of Buff Frog, Marco felt a surge of defensiveness rise in his chest, “They weren’t that bad. Besides, I was in their territory.”

“Oh--” Ira was about to reply, before she was interrupted loudly by Glossaryck.

“DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY FOOD?”

Nobody did and the carriage had settled into silence as they were pulled through the Heart District.

The Club District was just as different as the other districts had been, but Marco had been here before too. There were more strange animals in square pens, and people bustling about small shops. People turned to look at the carriage as it was pulled by, making a loop in the market center. “Further out is the Spade District, but it’s just farms. Beyond that is the Sinking Place, where monsters still infest,” Ben pointed out of the window, “There’s no point in going out there now. We’ve already been gone long enough.”

“Sinking Place?” Marco asked, confused.

“The swamps!” Star injected helpfully, her finger twitching toward her wand.

“Swamps?” Ira asked, peering into the horizon like she could see them.

“That’s what the terrain is called on Earth,” Star informed them, “Although, they aren’t filled with monsters.”

“I think I would like to see Earth someday,” Ira smiled warmly at Marco, and he smiled back, glad that she seemed to accept him.

When they were walking back into the castle, Marco nudged Star, and she turned a tired look on him. “What’s wrong?” he whispered.

“I…” Star glanced at the guards ahead of them, “I told you. I don’t like being a queen.”

“Star…” Marco prodded, keeping his voice low.

“Everything is...complicated here,” her arms were crossed in front of her, like she was cold, “You heard how they think of the monsters. And...that man they were talking about…”

“Oberon?” Marco supplied, trying to remember the name.

“He’s the one my parents want me to marry,” she hissed, “...but I don’t want to marry him. I don’t even want to be around him. He’s like...my own personal Jeremy Birnbaum.”

“Oh,” Marco nodded solemnly, and then, quickly but firmly, squeezed her arm, “Then don’t marry him. Or be around him.”

“I wish it were that simple,” Star’s smile was a sad little thing, and Marco wanted to wipe it away.

“Your Majesty!” Victor called, causing the two to spring apart, “You’ve returned safely.”

“Of course,” Star nodded, “Victor, could you fetch me some dimensional scissors?”

“For...for what purpose?” He stared blankly.

“Well,” Star said, annoyed, “If you must question your Queen’s every action, I am returning Marco to Earth to collect his things.”

“Of course,” Victor blushed, hurrying away.

“You’re taking me back?” Marco hated the pathetic desperation in his voice, but he couldn’t control it.

“You have to sort things out with your parents,” Star said softly, “and I have to secure your spot here. You’ll be back in, like, a few days, tops.”

“Okay…” He wanted to prolong their time together, but he knew he was making things difficult by being here. “But...promise you’ll come get me?”

Star looked shocked, and then she softened, “Of course, I’m coming back for you, Marco. Always.”

It was a little easier to breathe after that.

Dimension hopping was a little easier the second time around, but Marco still felt a little sick afterwards. Star had cajoled the guards into letting her come alone, and Marco was thankful. “I’m sorry if this is going to be too difficult,” Star sighed, sitting down on his bed.

“It’s not,” Marco promised, “I told you I’d do anything.”

“I know,” Star smiled gently, pulling him down to sit next to her, “I don’t know how I ended up with such a great best friend.”

“You think  _I_ do?” Marco laughed incredulously, his chest warm.

Star’s grin strengthened at his laughter, and she whispered, “I really, really did miss you. Every time I saw your hoodie it took everything I had not to come back here.”

“I’m glad you didn’t forget about me,” Marco confessed, staring down at his hands, which had become tangled with hers.

“I would  _never_ forget Marco Diaz,” Star said, her voice low.

“Star…” he whispered, registering the closing distance between them.

_“Marco,”_ she sighed, and then their lips were on each other, moving slowly but surely. Marco’s hands came up to cradle her face, and Star’s hand wandered up his chest, in the little space between them. After a beat, they pulled away, both breathing heavily, pupils blown wide.

The little hearts on Star’s cheeks pulsed crimson, and Marco pulled back a little more to press a kiss to each of them. “Marco,” Star said again, a little tilt to her voice as she suppressed a giggle.

Star turned to the side, capturing his lips again, and Marco practically melted into her.

He was glad to give her more to remember him by.


	5. More Than Meets The Eye

It was a full week before Marco found himself hauling a moderately sized duffel through a portal to Mewni as his parents watched him go. When he’d returned, they had fought about what he wanted to do and why he was being so disrespectful to them. After a few shouts on either side, the three of them had sat down and talked over what he was asking. They had never really fought about anything before, and both sides were much happier to actually discuss their feelings.

In the end, they’d agreed, as long as there were conditions.

He would send them letters or call them or keep in touch  _somehow._

He would visit once a month.

He would take pictures.

He would be safe.

Marco had laughed out loud at their last request, assuring his parents that he would be as safe as possible. He didn’t tell them that he was training to be a glorified bodyguard, or that there was always a threat of monster attacks.

His mother had written a letter to the school, asking that they advance his finals because he would be leaving very soon. Ferguson had been surprised when Marco had told him that he was leaving, but Alfonso seemed to be angry. “How come you get to live in some magical dimension with a princess?”

Marco resisted the urge to tell them that Star wasn’t a princess anymore, but felt that might make the situation worse, “Star’s my best friend, I’m just lucky to be able to visit her…”

“We used to be your best friends,” Alfonso practically spat at him, “We used to be good enough for you.”

“Hey, it’s not…” the two had already walked away, and Marco sagged, “...like that.”

“What’s not like what?” Someone asked from behind him, and Marco turned to see Jackie and Janna both peering at him.

“Oh,” Marco scratched the back of his neck, “I’m going away for the summer.”

His crush on Jackie had long been doused, but he still had trouble looking her in the eye sometimes. It had more to do with how cool she was than attraction, but the faint color on his cheeks was still incriminating. “That’s cool!”

“Where are you going?” Janna asked suspiciously, leaning closer to him. Unconsiously, his hand slid into his pocket as he firmly gripped his wallet.

Marco fidgeted, looking between Janna’s unnerving stare and Jackie’s genuine one. “I’m, uh, staying with—I’m visiting Star.”

“Wow,” Jackie blinked, “No wonder you’ve started to perk up! Shout out to Diaz!”

“Huh?” Marco tilted his head, feeling like he was missing something.

“He’s finally gotten the gonads to go after the Princess,” Janna mocked, “Who could have seen this coming?”

“Whatever, Janna,” Marco scowled, “You’re just jealous.”

“Duh,” Janna rolled her eyes, pulling Jackie down the hall. Marco pursed his lips, ignoring the sinking feeling in his gut; going to Mewni was the right thing to do.

“From this point on, Marco Diaz of Earth will spend his days training to fill the role of Lord Protector of Her Royal Highness, Acting Queen Star Butterfly of Mewni. When he has completed his training, his status will ascend to that of Protector,” Moon Butterfly stood between her daughter and Marco, her hand on each of their shoulders. It had been awkward, seeing Star again, knowing that he couldn’t kiss her, could barely even talk to her.

She had only made eye contact three times—he was keeping track.

When she’d come to retrieve him from the portal, her eyes had locked onto his, immediately spotting him. He could have sworn that she had shivered, but he was probably just seeing what he wanted to.

When Ben and Roy had led Marco to his new room, Marco had looked back at the last second and caught Star’s eyes again. She had looked away immediately, her hearts darkening the slightest shade. He grinned to himself, ignoring the burning stare of Victor. The purple Prisman was still suspicious of Marco and had taken every opportunity to act like an ass when Star wasn’t around.

When Marco had finished unpacking and changed into some Mewni clothes that had been left out for him, Star’s eyes had roamed from his sneakers all the way up to his eyes, making  _him_ blush. He had changed out of his sweatshirt and into a padded vest that was buttoned snugly down his chest and stomach, and put on his own grey t-shirt with the quarter sleeves to go under it. He’d shied away from the leggings someone had left out, opting to keep his own jeans and sneakers.

At least the vest was red, which he appreciated.

A part of him was still skeptical that he wasn’t dreaming, that he was really here, listening to Star’s mom lay out what he was doing here for all the rest to hear. “A number of the Color Guard have volunteered to take you out to the training fields to test your abilities. The rest will stay with Sta— “

“Mother! I’m going to watch!” Star blurted, her eyes wide, “I’ll go watch, that way all of the Guard can show him some moves.”

Moon’s eyes were narrow as she peered at her daughter, “Very well, Your Majesty. I just pray that you remember your duties. For your kingdom.”

Star drew back a few inches, faltering, “I- I will! I just want to make sure…Marco’s got the right stuff!”

Marco’s jaw dropped, “Hey!”

“No offense, Marco,” Star dropped her eyes to the ground, waving a dismissive hand.

“Very well,” Moon nodded, “Tomorrow will begin your actual lessons. You will need to be trained in basic healing, the history of Mewni and its inhabitants, and of course, combat. You will also be escorting Star to learn as much diplomacy as you can.”

“Okay,” Marco nodded, “Thank you so much.”

Moon’s gaze softened as she looked at him, “Be safe, Marco Diaz.”

He grinned back at her as she stepped away from the two of them, “So….”

Star met his eyes again, and her smile stretched from ear to ear. He felt his chest flutter again, but he just kept smiling. 

The training fields were way out in the Spade District, surrounded by fields of corn. Star told Marco that you could actually see the Spade District from the castle, since it was below the rest of the districts and somewhat off to the side. Her father liked to look out at the corn.

They were all gathered together in the tall grass, and Marco couldn’t help but admire the auburn tint on the blades. The sun was shining, but a small breeze was keeping them cool, ruffling the grass as it traced its way through it.

“Okay,” Roy clapped his hands together, “Today we’re going to see what you know, so we know where to start your lessons.”

“I’d wager not much,” Gaige said, his arms crossed.

“Oh, hush,” Ira rolled her eyes, “He says he’s fought monsters before.”

“So you have some experience?” Roy asked, pulling his fingers through his rough beard as he thought.

“I’m a green belt in karate,” Marco answered a little self-consciously. Star gasped from beside him, tugging on his arm.

“You didn’t tell me you advanced!”

Marco shrugged, unwilling to delve into the period they had been separated, “I just…worked hard.”

Star seemed to understand that he wasn’t saying everything, or that he didn’t want to. “What’s karate?” Ben asked, peering at Marco.

“It’s a…form of unarmed combat,” Marco explained, “I’ve been studying it since I was a kid.”

“You mean you have no experience with armed combat?” Victor spat, grimacing, “What use is that to the Queen?”

“It’s protected me just fine before,” Star said hotly, glaring at Victor.

“It is still a problem,” Roy spoke over everybody else, “On Mewni, our form of fighting is called Seca. It’s a combination of unarmed and armed combat, but it mostly focuses on perfecting your form with a weapon.”

“Okay,” Marco nodded, his palms sweaty. He knew he’d have to prove himself to them, and despite his track record, he was beginning to feel nervous. “So, um, how should we start?”

“We still need to assess your abilities,” Ophelia said, “…even if you don’t have a weapon.”

“Maybe he’s a quick learner!” Ben grinned, and Ira elbowed him.

“I will spar with him,” Victor said firmly, stepping close to Marco. He was still suspicious of Marco, and had yet to be anything but an asshole. Marco’s distrust of him was quickly growing.

“Maybe you shouldn’t…” Ophelia began, but Marco cut her off.

“Okay, let’s do it,” Marco stepped away from the group, falling into his defensive position.

“First one on the ground wins, and then the match is  _over_ ,” Roy instructed, and Marco pretended he couldn’t hear the uncertainty in the man’s voice. “Begin.”

Victor shot forward, aiming a punch to Marco’s side that he barely dodged. He spun around, hoping to land a kick to the back of Victor’s knees. Victor was already swinging back around toward Marco, and this time his fist caught Marco’s shoulder. Marco was sent stumbling back, and he tried to focus around the pulsing pain. Victor was sporting a vicious grin, and Marco could feel that flame licking at his insides again.

He surged forward, faking left and managing to chop the space between Victor’s chest and shoulder plate. Victor only grunted, jabbing into Marco’s side. He forced himself to swallow the cry of pain, ignoring the cheers of the other Guards. He just had to get behind Victor, but there was no trash can to hop off of, no leverage like there had been when he used to fight monsters.

“Have you had enough yet?” Victor sneered, “Are you ready to go down?”

“Not a chance!” Marco scoffed, panting, searching for any way that he could gain the upper hand. Victor was taller and bulkier than Marco, so maybe…

Marco faked right, and Victor had been expecting it, so he dodged to the left to intercept the boy. But Marco had rolled to the right, successfully getting behind Victor. He was sweeping a kick under Victor’s legs just as the man was swinging a heavy fist right at Marco’s face.

Marco made Victor stumble, but Victor caught Marco right in the cheek, the momentum forcing Marco down onto the ground. “Marco!” Star cried, but Marco just shook his head dizzily. Victor laughed, and Marco wanted to get right back up and beat his face in.

Gaige helped Marco up, offering a sympathetic smile, “Victor was just…motivated. Don’t worry about it.”

“How do you expect a shrimp like that to beat monsters? To protect our Queen?” Victor laughed, holding his arms out wide.

Marco didn’t answer, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. “He just needs more training,” Roy spoke softly, “He lasted pretty long for his first time.”

Ben giggled, and Ira elbowed him again. Ysa rolled her eyes at both of them, stepping forward, “Come on, Marco, we’ll try—“

She was interrupted by furious screaming coming from the forest a handful of yards away. A skinny purple hedgehog looking monster, a turtle-bird hybrid, and a buff dog with horns came barreling out of the forest.

“Shit! Monsters!” Ira cried, “Protect the Queen!”

When the monsters saw Star, they started to run harder, snarling and baring their teeth. “It’s the Queen!”

The Color Guard fell into a protective line in front of Star, all bearing different weapons. The flame was still licking at Marco’s belly, so he jumped in front of them all. The monsters did not stop, and the dog looked behind him, back at the forest. That made Marco pause, but Victor was yelling, so Marco grinned and propelled himself forward.

He could kick monster butt.

Marco aimed a flying kick at the dog, who wasn’t expecting it. The collision forced them both to tumble, and Marco punched the dog on the way to the ground. The porcupine didn’t stop running, but the turtle did. “You stupid Mewman!”

Marco hopped off of the dog’s winded body, grinning. “I really missed this, you know.”

“You’re going to get killed!” Ira cried, but Marco didn’t spare her a look.

“Stop the other one!” Roy shouted from the lineup, brandishing a longsword. “Your Majesty, you need to stay back!”

Star was trying to push past her guards, shouting, “Marco!”

“You’re all going to die!” The turtle snarled, swiping it’s claws at Marco, “You don’t even know what’s coming!”

“What are you even talking about?” Marco asked, grabbing it’s forearm and slamming it to the ground.

“Just get it over with!” The turtle screeched above the shouts of the others, “It’s better than what they’ll do!”

“Wha…?” Marco hesitated, staring down at the monster below him. Gaige’s crossbow bolt caught the animal right between it’s shell and body. At first the monster grimaced in pain, but then it smiled as the life drained from him.

Marco felt sick to his stomach, and he stumbled back. The porcupine had been dispatched by Ira’s sickle. Star was still behind Ophelia and Ben, but she broke free when she saw Marco’s face. “Are you okay?”

“I…”— _somethings wrong, it’s not right._ Marco looked back at the forest.

“We’ll take this scum in for questioning, since the kid didn’t kill him,” Victor nudged the dog on the ground. “At least we know he’s not completely useless.”

“At least he fought!” Ira defended him, moving to Victor’s side.

“Marco?” Star asked, touching his hand gently. He forgot to be flustered, and looked at her with wide eyes.

“They were running from something!” Marco took off running through the auburn field, back to the forest.

“Wait!” Star cried, running after him as best she could. She hiked up her dress, determined not to fall behind.

“Your Majesty!” Ysa and Ophelia cried, stunned.

“Where’s he going?” Gaige looked between his fellow guards, “What’s he doing?”

“Putting the Queen in danger!” Victor abandoned the dog, following Star and Marco into the land ahead.

Marco ran straight into the forest, his heart pounding. The trees were long and spindly, snaking their branches together. Star crashed into him, shoving him to the ground. “Sorry!” she said sheepishly, helping him up, “Why are we here?”

“Those monsters were running from something,” Marco panted, reaching down to grab her hand, “That turtle smiled when he died!”

“What?” Star whispered, holding up her wand to light the way around them.

“I…I don’t know,” Marco shook his head, pulling her further into the forest, “Something’s wrong—“

A heavy body dropped behind them, and Marco whipped around, pulling Star closer and balling his fist. She had her wand raised defensively and he mirrored her with his hand. The monster stared at them with bulbous yellow eyes for a moment before blurting out, “Butterfly? Karate Kid?”

“Buff Frog!” Star exclaimed, “You scared me half to death!”

“What’s going on?” Marco asked, relaxing slightly. The last time he’d seen Buff Frog was when they’d babysat for him…and that had been so long ago.

“I am glad to have found you two, though I wonder what you are doing in these woods. It is dangerous times. More than you know,” Buff Frog said solemnly, ushering them into the shadows.

“What’s going on?” Star echoed, pulling away from Marco, but leaving their hands intertwined.

Buff Frog sighed, “Toffee is back.”

“What?” Marco spluttered, looking around them as if Toffee would magically appear.

“It is difficult to explain, but he has…rekindled his relationship with Ludo. They are sending out their creatures to take other monsters for their army,” Buff Frog spoke quickly and quietly.

“An army? Why would they even be working together?” Marco whispered back, looking just as confused as Star.

“Only those who join know, and those who join are… _different_. Not the same. I do not know full situation yet, but I am doing my best to find out,” Buff Frog looked down, “I have children to protect.”

“Your kids!” Star gasped, “Are they okay? Are they here?”

Buff Frog’s voice cracked, and Marco felt dread pool in his stomach, “I was not strong enough to protect all of them. My Katrina, Alexi, Dimitri, Anastasia, Mikhail, and Sergei are all somewhere safe. Ludo…Ludo has taken the others.”

“No!” Star cried, her fingers tightening around her wand.

“That’s awful!” Marco frowned, squeezing Star’s hand.

“Your Majesty!” Victor called from a distance, “Your Majesty, where are you?”

Buff Frog straightened, looking behind them, “I must go now. But…at least I was able to warn you two. Stay safe, comrades…”

Buff Frog lowered himself and then leaped high into the air, disappearing into the winding branches. Marco turned to face Star, his chest tight when he saw how pale her face was and the tears spilling down her cheeks. “This is awful!” Star moaned, pushing her face into Marco’s shoulder and gripping his vest tightly.

“I know,” Marco murmured, holding her just as tightly, “We’ll help them. We have to stop Toffee.”

“Your Majesty!” Victor snarled, “What has he done to you?!”

Star straightened and pulled away from Marco, much to his disappointment. He glared at Victor. “Silence, Victor,” her voice was cold and nasally, wholly regal. “We need to get back to the castle,  _now.”_

“O-of course, Your Majesty,” Victor stuttered, surprised by her tone. He led them out of the forest, glancing back at Marco the whole time. He had released Star’s hand, but he wished that he could still hold it, and forget what Buff Frog had told them, forget what had happened in the field.

“Monsters lie, Star,” Moon chastised, “They will do anything to make us hesitate.”

“Mother!” Star complained, “This is serious! They need help,  _we_ need to prepare—“

“Starling,” River interrupted his daughter, “Normally, I would agree with you, but these monsters, they’re getting desperate…”

“You would sacrifice our people’s safety for the sake of your own pride?” Star spat, and Marco had to resist the urge to hold her back. Victor had already badmouthed him enough.

“Enough, Star,” Moon grit her teeth, “You may be queen now, but you do not understand everything yet.”

“Fine,” Marco could practically hear Star’s teeth when they ground together, “Marco, let’s go.”

Marco followed Star out silently, surprised when she stopped short a few feet outside the door. “We’re going to fix this,” she said savagely, “We’re going to make this right, even if they won’t help us.”

Marco stared at her, and it was no question that he would follow her wherever she went. “Of course,” he murmured, glancing around the corridor to make sure no one else was around, “I told you I would help you.”

“Okay,” Star nodded, taking deep breaths, “Okay. One more thing…” She pressed her lips to his quickly, and even though he was kind of expecting it, it still surprised him.


	6. Pieces In Place

Marco had only spoken a handful of words to Star’s mother where she had replied. Every time they had ever interacted, Moon’s eyes always seemed to glide over him, like she didn’t want to see him.

But she had agreed to let him stay here, so she couldn’t have disliked him that much.

“Hello, Marco!” River greeted him cheerfully, grabbing a thick piece of corn from his plate, “I trust you slept well!”

“Uh,” Marco glanced quickly at Star, who had her hair held up in a large bun on the top of her head, “It was okay. Just…uh, excitement about learning all the stuff I’m going to…learn.”

“Marco’s very serious about his studies,” Star said, and Marco wondered at the touch of smugness in her tone. He felt his face heat up when Moon met his gaze directly.

“I’m glad my daughter did not influence you so heavily in that area, then,” Moon said in her even, sure voice. Marco thought he might have seen a hint of a small smile at the corner of her lips, but doubted it.

“Mother!” Star’s jaw dropped, “I’m a great role model! I’m a freakin’ queen!”

“Queens do not speak like you have a tendency to in front on guests,” Moon said sharply, any amusement swiped away. Marco tried to eat his corn quietly, his eyes wide.

“It’s just Marco,” Star muttered, “He’s practically already family anyway.”

Marco choked on his corn, coughing into his sleeve. Moon regarded him with a high brow, and River just laughed, “You’ll get the hang of it, son!”

“S-So,” Marco swallowed, trying to regulate his breathing again, “I have to start my, uh, lessons today, right?”

“Yes,” Moon nodded, “Ophelia has volunteered to train you in healing, Roy will continue your combat training, and you will meet with our Historian thrice a week. It is important for you to understand our kingdom, which is why you will also accompany Star in the afternoon to receive her subjects.”

Star subtly pumped her fist, grinning at him. He grinned back, his nerves finally untwisting themselves.

* * *

 

Ophelia had been surprised to know that Marco knew a great deal about first aid, or “healing” as they simply referred to it. He explained that there were basic things that everybody knew in his dimension, and a lot of other things were easily accessible via the internet. Ophelia hadn’t known what that was, so he’d done his best to explain. She had explained to him that she was the primary healer of the Color Guard, not that there had ever been a real need for it.

“So you’ve never actually used any of this stuff?” Marco asked, looking over the table where she had laid out various tools, bottles, and cloth.

“Oh, no, I’ve used it,” Ophelia clarified, “But never for such serious injuries. Of course our team may get scrapes and bruises, an infection here or there, but thankfully we’re all skilled enough to know when the fight is not turning in our favor.”

Marco felt his throat tighten and he prayed that his voice was even as he prodded, “You guys fight monsters often? Like you go out and kill them?”

Ophelia’s gaze flitted away for a moment, and he wondered what she was thinking about before she answered, “We do what is necessary to protect our kingdom, and more importantly, the royal family. Though there are some among us…that are a little more zealous. With good reason, of course.”

“Of course, of course,” Marco nodded, unable to resist the urge to bring his fingers to his chin. He was not a great liar, but what else was he supposed to do? “So when you say that you mean…”

“Well…” For the first time, Ophelia seemed less open to him, unsure, “It’s not really my place to tell you this, but I have a feeling you’re going to be around for a while. Ira’s father… he was killed by a rabid monster when she was very young. I think it’s what made her want to train so hard to become a Prisman.”

“Oh,” Marco frowned, genuinely sympathetic, “That really…I’m sure it was hard on her.”

Ophelia glanced down at her hands, her own lips tugged down before she raised her eyes again, a soft smile erasing her thoughts, “It’s what we deal with living on Mewni. I’m sure there are similar things in your home dimension.”

Marco faltered for a second, before murmuring, “Our monsters are not quite the same.”

From there the conversation redirected back to healing, as Ophelia decided they had spent enough time talking about monsters. She explained what color potion helped what, why a gurbleberry leaf was a better bandage than a clogax fiber one, and finally she ended with showing him how to apply a purple sludge to stop a wound from bleeding. It was a lot of information, but he found himself actually enjoying the lesson. The knowledge would be useful no matter where he was, and it made him feel a little bit better about being surrounded by so many dangers.

From there Marco had moved onto Roy, who had settled on teaching Marco technique before actually applying the moves, which was reminiscent of when Marco had begun karate. The older man seemed genuinely happy to teach Marco, unlike Victor, who was always hovering in the background.

“I can see you have a lot of potential,” Roy clapped him on the back, “You may even have the makings of a Mewman yet.”

Marco wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about that, and decided he was just glad that the Prismans seemed to be warming up to him.

It was around noon when Marco finally met with the Historian, a thin old woman with an ombre of white, grey and black hair. She wore robes with a long stripe of red down the back, with waves or rippling grey and white adorning the cloth. “You are the human,” she said, peering at him from behind thick white frames.

“M-My name is Marco Diaz,” he said, offering out his hand. She didn’t take it. “I’m, uh, here to learn about Mewni.”

“Call me Arctiidae,” she said after a few moments of silence, “We will start at the beginning.”

“When the settlers fought the monsters?” Marco prompted, trying to remember the little that Star had demonstrated that day with their friends. He had been a little preoccupied trying to follow Star, and it was with a start that he remembered even back then had been her faithful knight.

“The beginning,” Arctiidae said firmly, sitting in a polished white chair, “began with the stars. The was an enchantress, the mother of the stars. She spun the stars into dimensions when they were ready, creating worlds within them. She turned every star into a dimension, until there were none left to light any of her skies.

“It was in this darkness that monsters were born, erupting from pits of mud, seeking to steal the stardust the peoples had been created with. When the Mother Enchantress saw what her creations had become without the starlight, and their need for protection, she spun herself into threads of Starlight, scattering her light across the dimensions, imbuing those it fell upon with magic. Those who had gained the ability to protect, they began to rule, to organize.” Arctiidae fell into silence, and Marco stared at her with his mouth hanging open.

“That’s where magic comes from?” He asked after it seemed like she was finished.

“Not all dimensions are lucky enough to still possess it. Some have fallen entirely to the darkness.”

“That’s…” Marco could not think of the word, trying to take in everything she had said and synthesize it with the science he knew to be fact.

“That’s enough for today,” Artiidae said, rising from her chair. “Too much will overwhelm you, human.”

“Oh,” Marco blinked, “Um, okay, thanks.”

The old woman turned away, walking further into her study, letting her long fingers brush against the surfaces of everything she passed. Marco watched her go, an odd feeling rolling around in his gut.

“Marco!” Star grinned, hopping off of her throne to throw her arms around him. He hugged her back, pressing his face into her shoulder and inhaling, forgetting that some of her Guard were watching them intently. Star pulled back, a faint blush on her own face, “How was your first day?”

“It was good,” he said, and for some reason it felt like a lie, “I’m learning.”

“Good! Okay, there’s, uh, here’s a chair, you can sit next to me!” She gestured to a small throne-ish looking chair beside her throne. It looked like it was for a five-year-old, but he sat anyway, glad to at least be able to talk to her. “Usually this is so boring, I just have to sit here for, like, hours in case someone comes in.”

“Okay,” he said, eyeing the guards in the corner, “Are they gonna get mad if I talk to you?”

Star glanced at Ben and Ira, who were a several feet from the throne. “Who cares.”

Marco grinned, and his fingers ached to be tangled with hers. There had never been a restriction on if they could touch or not, back before they started kissing, before she had come back to Mewni. Before Star, Marco had never really showed affection in a physical way, but she had changed a lot of things.

“So…” Star glanced at her lap before murmuring, “What are we going to do about Toffee?”

Marco faltered, crystal flashing before his eyes, “We need to find out more about him. He seemed to know a lot about the wand.”

“Yeah…” Star absentmindedly brought her wand to her lips, “I just want to be prepared this time. I…” she paused, glancing at him, “I can’t let you get taken away again.”

Marco blinked, that warm feeling branching out across his chest, “I won’t be. Last time…we know better now.”

“I know,” she sighed, looking out over the receiving room. “We’re different now.”

Marco chewed on his lip, his nails digging into his fist. “Can…can we talk about that?”

“What?” Star looked at him, confused for a moment, before his gaze dropped to her lips, “Oh.”

“I…” Marco looked at Ben and Ira, who were trying to look like they weren’t trying to hear their conversation, “I understand,” he swallowed, “that you’re a Queen…and I don’t want to lose your friendship. Over anything. So—“

“Marco,” Star cut him off softly, and he could feel his heart trying to escape his chest, “You always worry so much.”

“I care about you,” he blurted, unclenching his fist and rubbing his sweaty palms on his pants, “Like as a best friend, but more, you know, ugh, god, I suck at—“

“Marco!” Star giggled, the hearts on her cheeks a deep shade of maroon, “I know. I…I care about you too. More than a best friend.”

“Oh,” Marco paused, “That’s, uh, good.”

“Besides,” her voice was barely louder than a whisper, “we’re soulmates.”

“Whoa, wait, what?” Marco spluttered, choking in the middle of a breath. Star’s face was flaming, and Ben and Ira had rushed closer.

“Are you okay?” Ben asked, a mix of amusement and concern on his face.

“I’m…” Marco had to force his voice not to sound like he was a prepubescent boy again, “I’m fine!”

“Okay…” Ira looked unsure, and Star had her mouth clamped shut.

“Star just told me a really, um, surprising joke,” Marco laughed awkwardly, knowing his face was just as red as Star’s .

“Ooh, what was—“ Ben started to ask, but a horn sounded outside the door of the receiving room, which signaled that someone was coming in. Ben and Ira both stood to attention, watching the door. A small man with purple hair shambled in. “Announce yourself!” Ira ordered.

“My name is Mathias Booblee,” The man said, stopping a few feet from the throne. Star was sitting up straight, looking regal again. “I just come to beg an answer. Are we safe?”

Star looked shocked, “Of course. Why, why wouldn’t you be?”

“Word is gathering in the Club District that there is a new Royal Protector. The man to your right?” The man’s gaze shifted to Marco, and he froze where he sat. He hadn’t really thought about the fact that people in the kingdom would know about him, would know what he was supposed to be doing. It was yet another group that would judge him.

“You have nothing to fear,” Star said warmly, “We are just…” Star paused, looking for the right words, “taking advantage of an old tradition.”

The man scrutinized them silently and Ben stepped forward, “Is there anything else?”

“No,” The man gave one last look at Marco before turning and shuffling back out. When he had reached the doors, Marco turned to the others.

“Was that weird or…?”

Ben shrugged, “It’s not the weirdest thing that’s ever happened. I’m surprised that no one’s come to ask Her Majesty to the Corful Celebration since it’s coming up.”

Star sighed, “My butt’s getting sore.”

“Only a few more hours, Your Majesty,” Ira soothed.

The horn rang again, and this time a tall, buff blonde guy strode in. Marco heard Star’s breath catch, and Ben walked forward, “Oberon!”

Oberon, who looked like he was a few years older than Star and Marco, flashed a bright smile at the Prisman. “Hello Ben! Ira!” His gaze shifted to Star, who wore a practiced smile. “My Queen!”

Marco shifted uncomfortably, and Star grit out, “Oberon.”

Oberon admired her for a moment, his chest puffed out before his gaze shifted to Marco. The moment his light eyes saw Marco’s arm leaning on Star’s throne, his face hardened, “And who, pray tell, is this?”

Star took a deep breath, sending a fleeting glance to Marco, “This is Marco Diaz, Lord Protector over…me.”

Oberon’s jaw was square, and Marco was a little confused. This must have been the guy they were telling him about the other day, the one that wanted to marry Star. But as far as Marco knew, the guy had no claim over Star—no one did. “I did not realize that that role was open, or even necessary.”

“Marco fits the role perfectly,” Star said firmly, and Marco felt a surge of gratitude.

“Well,  _Marco,”_  Oberon’s smile was so friendly it was almost a sneer, “I look forward to seeing you around the castle.”

“Um,” Marco offered an awkward smile, “Okay.” He turned to Star, who was looking at him with wide eyes, “Is there anywhere I can get some pudding around here? I, uh, have an idea. That will let me not be here anymore. Ha.” 

 


	7. Up Chuck

“Oh, Glossaryck,” Marco crooned, sitting over Star’s book, “I brought you a…really weird gift.”

Marco heard a loud sniff, before Glossaryck pulled himself out from between the pages, “Marco, my dear boy, why do I feel like you’re only nice to me when you want something?”

“Do you want this pudding or not?” Marco said shortly, but then took a deep breath, “Since you’re such an all-knowing…. thing, I was just assuming that you knew something about…someone.”

“Persuasion is not your color,” Glossaryck murmured, diving into the small bowl of pudding. “Your question is maybe my answer.”

Marco sighed, pinching his nose, “Do you know anything about the monster Toffee?”

Glossaryck stilled, his head rotating until he faced Marco, “Why do you want to know?”

“He…He’s a serious threat to the kingdom. We need to know more about him so we can stop him for good this time,” Marco said, a little desperately. Glossaryck regarded Marco for a few minutes before sticking a pudding covered toe into his mouth.

“This is only because I like you so much,” Glossaryck sighed, sinking into his tub of pudding. “In the last generation of Butterfly’s, when Moon Butterfly was very young, a farmer had stumbled onto a large egg he’d never seen before. It was brought to the castle and determined that it was a monster egg. Some wanted to smash it, but the tacticians of the time had another idea.

“The monster was to be brought up in the castle, as an experiment, to see if monsters could ever be domesticated, civilized. If he showed any signs of his true nature, he would be put down. To many of the royals’ surprise, Toffee was entirely polite, well-behaved—everything they hoped. He was brought up as a companion to Moon, and for a while people saw him as an example. He could mingle amongst the royals, do everything they wanted, and all he had needed was to be raised by Mewmans. The problem, as I understand it, was that people regarded him as more than a monster, which is what he was, but still less than a Mewman.

“Toffee believed the root of the divide between Monsters and Mewmans was magic, that it was what caused his people’s suffering. He tried to destroy Moon’s wand, almost had her convinced, but…” Glossaryck paused, stirring his finger in the pudding, “You only need a breath to extinguish a flame, but Toffee assumed it needed to be cleansed in the fire it was born from. At the last moment, Moon realized the gravity of what Toffee wanted and…well, he lost a finger and fled the castle, solidifying the condemnation of monsters.”

Marco sat with a slack jaw for the second time that day, and he almost found this harder to believe. Toffee had been raised in the castle? Had been Moon’s friend? That was how he knew so much about the wand, and the Whispering spell…it all made sense! Marco carefully set down the pudding bowl, a sense that everything was going to change after this inflating him, “Thank you, Glossaryck. Seriously. I…”

Glossaryck pursed his lips, staring up at Marco, “There are moments that define the future that may seem like they’re always on the horizon. Sometimes they aren’t. Sometimes they are already upon you.” With that, he sunk completely into the pudding.

Marco swallowed, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He would tell Star privately, when they had another moment alone. They couldn’t afford to mess this up.

Marco couldn’t see Star again until dinner, which had expanded to include the Color Guard. Roy, Ophelia, Ysa, Gaige, Moon, and River sat on one side of the table, while Star, Marco, Victor, Ira, and Ben sat on the other. The desire to blurt out what he learned was almost too strong, but they needed to handle the situation delicately. There was no telling who knew what and how Star would react.

“I trust your first day was fulfilling, Marco,” Moon said, and he froze. He knew he’d have to talk to Moon, but he couldn’t meet her eyes. How could she be so unwilling to hear that Toffee was a serious threat, especially with his history? How much more was she hiding?

“Uh, yeah, it was, um…fulfilling,” Marco struggled through his words, aware that all the attention had been drawn to him. He felt Star’s eyes probing his face, but he couldn’t look at her.

“I’m sure it’s been somewhat overwhelming,” River chortled, “I bet the boy’s never seen a kingdom so exquisite!”

“I learned a lot about the kingdom’s history,” Marco murmured, his heart pounding.

“Like what?” Ira probed, leaning forward, “Is your culture so different from ours?”

“Um,” Marco found it easier to talk to Ira, “I learned about the creation of, uh, magic. The…The Mother of the Stars…?”

“Oh, yes!” Ysa clapped her hands together, “I love telling children the story of our creator! Wasn’t she so brave?”

“She seemed like it,” Marco nodded, tactful enough not to inject his own thoughts that it just sounded like religion, an excuse for what they could not explain.

Star nudged his knee with her own, and he almost jumped out of his skin. He pretended to cough on his corn, shooting her a look. She raised her own eyebrows at him, and his gaze darted to her parents. She looked at them too, and Marco took the opportunity to lean over her to get some butter, muttering, “We need to talk.”

Star stared at him, but nodded almost imperceptibly.

Marco sat back down, satisfied. The others continued to chat around their food, Ben and Gaige discussing the upcoming Corful Celebration. Star had explained to him once a long time ago that it was something like Valentine’s Day. His cheeks burned at thought, imaging him and Star…

Marco shook his head, turning to Star, “How was your day?”

“Oh,” she shrugged, “it was okay. Oberon left a little while after you did. Someone complained about rat droppings all over a road in the Spade District. The usual stuff, I guess.”

Marco nodded, aware that Moon’s gaze had shifted back to the two of them, “So it’s all the same tomorrow?”

“Oberon will be dropping by again,” Moon said, narrowing her eyes at Star, “He would like a meeting with us.”

“Oh,” Star repeated, a little more edge in her voice.

Marco, unwilling to sit through an awkward stare off between the two of them, pushed his plate away, “I guess…I’ll go back to my room then?”

“Okay!” Star’s eyes snapped to his, “See you tomorrow!”

A little confused, Marco nodded, “Uh, see you tomorrow. Goodnight Mr. and Mrs…uh, Butterfly.”

“Goodnight, Marco!” River replied, too busy with his corn to even look up.

 Star had sneaked into his room an hour later, closing the door gently behind her. Marco had taken off the vest and his shoes, putting them neatly in their places. “What is it, Marco?” Star asked, almost tiptoeing across the room to his bed, “If I get caught in your room, they’ll get angry. Improper and all that...”

“I—“ Marco flexed his fingers, sitting on his bed, “I couldn’t tell you in front of your mom.”

“What?” Star pressed, sinking gently onto the mattress.

There was no easy way to say it, “Your mom was friends with Toffee!”

“What?” Star squeaked, bringing her hands up to her mouth, “What are you talking about?”

Marco explained it all to her; how Toffee had grown up in the castle, how he’d tried to destroy the wand back then. “What are we going to do?”

“We…” Star looked around the room wildly, “I don’t know! I mean, my mom? Friends with Toffee? Who else knows?”

“I don’t know,” Marco admitted, “I guess…anybody who was around during that time. Shouldn’t they see Toffee as a bigger threat?”

Star chewed on her lip, “Maybe they think he’s just another monster?”

“Who kidnapped me and cleaved your wand?” Marco asked incredulously.

“I don’t know!” Star fell back on the mattress, “Let’s just…keep our ears to the ground. We have to find out his next move.”

“Okay,” Marco sighed, laying down with her. She offered him a weak smile, and suddenly he realized that she was alone with him. In his room. “Um, Star?”

“What?”

“What did you mean, earlier, when you, uh, said we were soulmates?” Marco’s face was on fire again, and hers was heating up just as quickly.

“The Blood Moon Ball, silly,” Star laughed nervously, “Our souls are connected.”

Oh. Duh.

“So…” Marco rolled onto his stomach, looking down at her, “…are we dating? Is that something we can do?”

Star looked away from him, chewing on her lip again, “I don’t know. I…I don’t want to do anything that could, like, make it harder for you to stay.”

Marco tried not to look disappointed, a stone sinking in his gut. Of course, they couldn’t be together—she was a queen! He rolled onto his back, intent on staring at the ceiling.

“Oh, Marco,” Suddenly Star was all he could see, leaning over him on her knees, “I’m yours. Even if we can’t… _be_ like a normal couple, I’m still yours.”

She leaned closer to him, close enough that he could see the flecks of gold in her eyes. It reminded him of the story the Historian had told him. Their lips brushed gently against each other’s before the kiss deepened, and Marco pulled her down so she was properly laying on him. They broke apart for a second before leaning close again, Star sinking into him.

The next time they broke apart, Marco breathed, “I’ve always been yours, Star. Since we met.”

“Did you ever think we’d get here?” Star kissed his nose, her voice and touch gentle.

“I’m glad we did,” Marco said, his voice sure and sincere.

She leaned down to give him another firm kiss before rolling off of him, “I’d better go before someone gets suspicious.”

“Okay,” he nodded lightly, trying to get his bearings. Right before she opened the door he sat up, like he'd forgotten something important, “I love you.”

Star gave him a smile that made his chest flutter, murmuring a soft, “I love you too,” before she was gone. Marco’s head dropped back onto his pillow, and he couldn’t stop his fingers from tracing over his lips. Though it wasn’t the first time they’d kissed, it had felt different this time—like something had been confirmed or sealed. A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts, and he hopped to his feet, a dopey grin on his face.

It fell immediately when Victor pushed his way into the room. “We need to have a little talk, you and I.”

“Um, okay?” Marco scratched the back of his head.

“I know what you’re up to,” Victor pointed a thick finger into Marco’s face, “and I know you think you have a chance, but you don’t.”

“Excuse me?” Marco spluttered, “Are you always like this? Accusing people of random things? Doesn't it get old?”

“You think you can become King. That you can charm the Queen enough so that she’ll  _promote_  you, but it  _won’t_ happen. The Butterfly line has been spoiled enough already, we don’t need any cross-species mutts.” Victor shook his head, “You may have fought monsters, you may even think you love the Queen, but you’ll  _never_  be happy here. You’ll always be on the outside. Maybe I misjudged you when we met, but know I’ve thought long and hard about this. I serve the kingdom, and I have for most of my life. I will not fail again.”

“You’re crazy,” Marco scoffed, “Star- Her Majesty, is my best friend. We’ve been through more than you can imagine, and I’m not going to let your sad attempt at scaring me stop me from protecting her.”

Victor scowled at Marco, “You don’t even know  _how_  to protect her. I saw you that day in the field—you didn’t kill a single monster, and then you went running into the woods. Do you even know what side you’re on? What the right side is?”

Marco glared at Victor, wrenching open his door and pointing out of it. “I’m on  _her_  side,” he said coldly.

 Star was only a little bit surprised that her mother was waiting in her chamber. She couldn’t find it in her much to care though, feeling light from her visit with Marco. It was still hard to believe that he was here with her, that he was kissing her! The last three months had been awful without him, and she’d taken to sleeping in his hoodie, even when she had worn out his smell. When she’d finally broken down to visit him, it had been her last straw.

“Star,” her mother greeted her sharply, “We need to have a chat.”

“What is it, Mom?” her good mood already beginning to wane.

“Oberon came to me today,” her mother said slowly, “He was concerned about your…attention.”

“My attention…?” Star sneered, rolling her eyes.

Her mother narrowed her eyes, leaning forward, “I am warning you now, Star. If there is anything between you and Marco Diaz, end it now. I thought you would have enough sense to know that it couldn’t be.”

Star tried to hide her shock, narrowing her own eyes, “You and Dad were—are.”

“I told you,” Moon softened the slightest bit, “You will not be doing many of the things I did. You need to think about your future, your reputation.”

Star knew that she could be impulsive, that she had a tendency to be run by her emotions, but she couldn’t stop the words from shooting from her mouth, “You’re right. I won’t let Toffee get away.”

Moon blinked, “Excuse me?”

Star took a deep breath, her voice shaking, “I  _know_ , Mom. I know that Toffee was your friend, that you let him get away.”

Moon glared at her daughter, “You know nothing. You understand nothing.”

Star glared right back, “I know that you almost let Toffee get away with destroying the wand. I understand that, if in some twisted freaking way, Toffee was right, then you turned your back on your friend! So you’re right! I won’t be like you! I would never betray Marco!”

Moon stood, the diamonds on her cheek glowing a sharp electric pink, “Marco will hurt you! He’s not the same as you, can’t you see that? No matter what he says, what you say, he won’t stay here forever! I should have listened to my mother, Star, but I didn’t! I thought I knew what was right, but I didn’t! And neither do you!”

Star’s voice was getting higher the louder she got as she shrieked, “You act like I’m you, Mom! Marco’s not a lizard! Marco wants to help the kingdom! How can that possibly be wrong?”

Moon took a deep breath through her nose, speaking through her teeth, “Just because people seem like they want to help you doesn’t mean they do. They only want to help themselves.”

“They only want to help themselves? Toffee was trying to bring monsters and Mewmans together! Yeah, he could have gone about it better but…but I’ve learned to give monsters the benefit of the doubt! Not all of them eat babies, you know!” Star shouted, waving her hands wildly, her own cheeks glowing.

Moon glared at Star, clenching her pale fists, “Toffee killed my mother, Star. You think I underestimate him? I don’t. I know what he can do, and I know that I won’t let it happen again. Toffee is not back. If he were, I would know it. Being so gullible, especially by a monster’s word…it’ll get you killed too, just like your grandmother.”

Star felt the rage sink out of her, leaving an ache in her chest and a tiredness in her bones, “Mom, I didn’t…how was I supposed to know that? You never even gave me a chance.”

Moon took another deep breath, and the shadows cast by the candles on Star’s walls seemed to be swallowed by her, “I gave you several chances, Star. But you were never mature enough to understand, and perhaps you aren’t even now. That’s why you’ll marry Oberon, who is suited for the throne. You’ll have his children and one day you might have a daughter just as obstinate as you are, and then you’ll realize that I was helping you this whole time.”

Star wasn’t sure if she’d begun to cry out of anger or sadness, “I won’t let you take Marco away.”

“I won’t take Marco away,” Moon said, turning up her nose, “because I know that he can reign you in, unfortunately. But you’ll never marry him, never court him. Perhaps you should have rethought your proposal when you came to us. Like I said, I thought you had enough sense.”

With that, Moon left, slamming the door in her wake. Star dropped onto her bed, curling her legs close to her. She grasped wildly until she felt his hoodie and pulled it close, crying into it. It didn’t matter what her mother said. If…If Marco didn’t want to stay here, then they wouldn’t. He’d said all that time ago that he’d do anything, and so would she.

She would even give up being queen, but not before they’d finished this business with the monsters.


	8. Meantime

Marco had little alone time with Star over the next week, spending a lot of time with Roy. He’d spent some time with Ophelia, who had taught him how to make a cream that helped wounds heal faster, but she hadn’t known what else to tell him that he didn’t have some idea of. Marco had told Star the next day an abbreviated version of Victor’s visit, and she’d practically started seething. She’d been a little off since that night, being even more carefully formal than before, and a little colder toward her parents.

Marco didn’t understand it, but figured that if he needed to know, she’d tell him.

In the meantime, Roy had decided that Marco was finally ready to start physically training, hauling a mass of weapons out of storage. “Everybody’s got something,” Roy explained, “Victor’s got his hammer, Ben’s got his scimitar…”

“…and Star has her wand?” Marco asked offhandedly, glancing at the pile of weapons.

Roy shot Marco a surprised look, “I…I suppose so. But Her Majesty doesn’t fight—that’s what we’re for!”

“Oh, uh, right,” Marco nodded, trying not to roll his eyes. He still didn’t understand why they couldn’t talk about Star’s regular monster fighting. It wasn’t like they didn’t have girl warriors here, and they had to have known that she had fought to protect Marco against Toffee. “So…like…she’s never used her wand like that?”

“Well,” Victor leaned down to organize the weapons, “when she was young she was a wily one, that’s for sure. After her trip to finishing school, she was fixed right up though—more well-behaved than I’ve ever seen her. Perfectly fit for a queen. Though she does do some…questionable things…like bringing you here. Finishing schools on Earth must be very sacred if you were assigned to protect her.”

Marco pretended not to be shocked, and forced out a short laugh, “Huh, yeah…”

“Alright!” Roy stood, sweeping his hand out over the weapons, “What do you think?”

Marco pursed his lips, gazing down at the weapons. Though a lot of them looked really cool, Marco had never wanted to kill the monsters. The worst he and Star had ever done was knock them out and toss them through a portal. “Uh, what are those?”

Roy grimaced, touching the steel gloves with his foot, “Those are gauntlet shields. A bit more defensive than I’d hoped, but I suppose you do like to use your hands…we’ll see what Gaige can do.”

“Gaige makes the weapons?” Marco asked curiously, tilting his head. Despite having been living at the castle for a week, Marco hadn’t interacted much with the Prisman.

“Gaige modifies them,” Roy smirked to himself, stooping to pick up the gauntlets, “He’s always in his workshop thinkin’ up traps for the monsters.”

“Oh…” Marco pursed his lips, wondering just how many traps were planted around Mewni.

“Anyhow, is there a specific color you’d like your weapons? I can give Gaige a nudge in the right direction,” Roy winked.

“Uh, red,” Marco said slowly, “My favorite color’s red.”

“Ah,” Roy shot him a sly grin, “A man after my own heart.”

 Marco found that he had some free time after his time with Roy, so he made his way to the library in search of some paper or something to send back to his parents. It was almost strange being away from them for so long, and he wondered how everybody else’s summers were going.

It was hard to start the letter at first, unsure of how much he wanted to share, how much he could actually share. After a few drafts, he finally reread the letter and deemed it acceptable.

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_Things are going great here in Mewni. I’m sure you two are having your own fun with the house to yourselves. I hope the puppies are behaving. Star took me on a tour of her kingdom, and it’s a lot bigger than I thought it was. I’m still getting used to it, I guess. I’m learning a lot about first aid and stuff too, so that’s cool. I miss you guys. Maybe Star and I will be able to visit soon. We love you guys!_

_Your son,_

_Marco_

He was then unsure how to send it, and decided that maybe the best way would be to just drop it through a portal. He snooped around until he found a pair, and quickly dropped the letter into a small portal before returning them.

Marco was walking back to his room when Star came up behind him and tugged him backwards. “Whoa!” He stumbled, twisting around to look at her, “What’s up?”

“Let’s go,” she said fervently, her eyes twinkling, “Let’s get out of here.”

Marco took a step back, looking down at her, confused, “What?”

“I have some free time,” she bounced on her toes, glancing back behind them, “and I want to leave. With you.”

“O…okay,” Marco said slowly, letting her drag him back down the hall, “Aren’t you a little recognizable, uh,  _Your Majesty?”_

Star sent him a cute little smirk, the same look she always tended to get when he referred to her by title now, “Duh! That’s why we’re going to stop in my room so we can get my disguise and set up the diversion! What is this, amateur hour?”

Marco smiled, following her back to her room. He hadn’t been in it since they’d arrived in the castle the first time, since before they’d  _kissed_. They slid through the door without a sound, Star letting out a full sigh once it was shut. She seemed like she was letting out whatever had been bothering her for the past week, and Marco was glad.

She shot behind a room divider to change, and Marco sat on her bed. It was softy and lumpy, and he shifted from butt cheek to butt cheek to get comfortable. “I’m goin’ incognito!” She called from behind the divider, “If I get recognized, we’re screwed, so you need to cover for me if it looks like it’s getting rough!”

Star emerged, and Marco’s breath caught when he saw her burrowed in the hoodie he had given her, her hair pulled up into another ponytail. “What?” She tilted her head at him, a blush pooling under her freckles.

“No-nothing,” Marco coughed, swallowing his voice crack.

“Okay,” she rolled her eyes, but her face was still red. “Let’s go, Marco.”

He stood, frowning and glancing back at her door, “Won’t they know you’re missing?”

“Oh!” Star pulled out her wand, conjuring a corn dummy and laying it under her covers, “I’m napping.”

“Right,” Marco blinked, “Okay.”

 The Club District was a steady thrum of people, and it was easy for the two of them to blend in. Since Star couldn’t actually go in any of the stores, they settled on window shopping, and Marco was happy to do it. They laughed and admired Mewman creations that would never be sold on Earth, and it was easy to think that this was just like old times.

Until Star gently slipped her hand into his, but honestly, he wasn’t complaining.

After half an hour of frolicking around the market square, their stomachs started to strain in hunger. Star gave him some coins, briefly explaining the currency to him before pushing him off toward a row of food shops. Marco walked into the first one he saw, drawn by the smell of grilled meat. He was waiting in line for the food, something that looked like a cross between ham and lamb, but smelled like turkey, when his eye was drawn to a picture on the wall behind the vendor.

It took him a minute to place the person, but he realized it was Oberon and a man who must’ve been his father. Curious, Marco asked about it while he waited for the food to be served. “Does he work here?”

“Huh?” The vendor was a thick older man, and he looked like he couldn’t care less, “Oberon? Nah, his family was a supplier before…well, before.”

“Oh…” Marco screwed his lips together, “I guess the death must have been hard.”

The vendor narrowed his eyes, “Not hard for that moop, that’s for sure. Hated his father, probably threw a party when he realized how high he was goin’ up the social ladder.”

“Oh?” Marco raised his eyebrows, suddenly unsure he wanted this information.

“That kid’s always been cold,” The vendor sneered, handing Marco his food.

“O-Okay, thanks,” Marco left with wide eyes, quickly finding Star outside. He would have to tell her about the encounter later, yet another strange vague warning they might have to deal with. After he joined her back outside, they walked to the outskirts of the district, along the country road. The two of them settled on a thick, twisted tree, picking at the meat.

“Is this actually safe?” Marco asked, glancing around. They were a little far from the road, though still in sight of it.

“Has it ever been?” Star grinned, munching on her food. She seemed much more like the old Star, and he was glad that she was happier.

“Not with you around,” he grumbled with no malice behind it. They lapsed into silence, and when Marco looked up again, the smile had fallen from her face. “Hey,” he nudged her, “What’s wrong?”

The way Star looked at him chased away the carelessness of their afternoon, “I don’t…I don’t know if this was a good idea—you coming here.”

“What?” Marco choked, hurt crawling down his throat, a freezing faucet dripping into his gut.

She looked away, her lips pulled down in a frown, “I…everything is so much more…difficult than I thought.”

Marco opened his mouth and paused, closing it and looking back toward the castle instead. Finally, he said firmly,  _“Star.”_

* * *

 

She looked up at him, her lower lip wobbling. He remembered the first day they’d met, when he’d been so annoyed at her that he’d run away from home. She had come after him, fixed her spell, and told him that she would leave. He’d looked into her eyes, saw the genuine wish to be better, and then kicked some serious monster butt with her. That’d been it, they’d been best friends ever since— _partners._

“I’m not afraid of them,” Marco said fiercely, pointing back toward the castle.

Star shut her eyes for a beat longer than normal, taking a deep breath when she opened them, “You’re really happy here?”

Marco sighed, leaning close to her, “I’m happy as long as I’m with  _you_ , Star.”

“Aww Marco!” She leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, knocking them both to the ground. They both laughed, laying on top of each other. Star leaned in right when Marco felt something thump into his back.

“Whoa!” He leapt up, jarring Star off of him. The ground shifted where they once were, slowly erupting, a slick green head emerging.

“Buff Frog!” Star gasped, blinking as the buff frog pulled himself from the dirt. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought I heard you and karate boy and I had to warn you!” Buff Frog looked between them both, pulling a notepad from his pocket. “I believe there is going to be hit on castle…I have been keeping eye on Ludo, but…it is like poof! Smoke!”

“What?” Marco’s brow furrowed, “You mean he’s disappeared?”

“I think he is done recruiting, which must mean next step in plan, yes?” Buff Frog murmured, reading from scribbles Marco couldn’t make out. Maybe he should’ve learned Russian or Frogese or whatever Buff Frog wrote in.

“What, what’s the next step?” Star asked eagerly, peering at the pad.

“Invasion on castle,” Buff Frog said gravely, “He still needs your book. Or wand, maybe.”

“My wand?” Star scoffed, “We forged a new half and cleaved it together so mine was whole again. Didn’t his lose power?”

Buff Frog shrugged, “Like I said, one or the other.”

“Thanks for warning us, Buff Frog,” Marco sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Is no problem, I do what is right for my children,” Buff Frog said, “We will be safe in our cabin.”

“Okay,” Star nodded, chewing on her wand, “Listen, Toffee is way worse than we thought. He killed my grandmother, and he’s attacked the castle before. Stay out of his way if you can, okay? I don’t want anybody else to get hurt.”

Marco could feel the beat of his heart in his chest, and it felt like things were changing again. This was realer now; people had _died._ That couldn’t happen to anybody else. Star continued with a sigh, “We’d better getter back before we run out of time. Thank you so much, Bu—Yvgeny.”

“Stay safe, Star Butterfly.” 


	9. Off the Precipice

The castle was free of monsters for the next few days, Ludo apparently choosing to lay low with his “army”. Marco’s lessons with Arctiidae continued as he learned about the history of the Butterfly family. Comet Butterfly, Star’s grandmother, had not been the only royal to be murdered by a monster, and Marco found it curious that there was no mention of Toffee as Comet’s killer. It simply mentioned a lizard that led a pitiful rebellion against the crown before being snuffed out. It didn’t add up, but Marco found that a lot of things seemed to be that way lately.

Marco ran into Ira on the way out of the library, and she smiled at him as she fell into step beside him. “How’s it going, Royal Protector?”

“Oh, uh, okay, I guess,” Marco laughed awkwardly, “I’ve learned a lot of things I never, uh, never imagined were possible.”

“I can’t imagine how different your dimension is,” Ira said conversationally, her voice light, “You seem so similar to us.”

“Thanks,” Marco grinned at her, and felt a pang in his chest when their eyes met. Even though she hated monsters, he could see that she seemed to be a good person. If she could just understand that there was so much more than what Mewni had chosen to present on the surface…but he doubted it would be easy, what with her father and all. “Hey, Ira, I heard about your dad, and I just wanted to say I’m sorry for what happened.”

She looked shocked at his words, but then the shock faded, and she looked more vulnerable than he’d ever seen her, “I…I appreciate it. Have you ever…do you have any experience with something like that?”

Marco swallowed, thinking back to all the near-death experiences, back to the close calls with his family, and finally murmured, “I can sort of imagine. But…it gets easier, the more you understand. You probably know about that, fighting monsters for so long.”

Ira snorted softly, grinning at him again, the light back in her voice, “I guess you really have learned a lot. I was never one for taking my time to understand things…” Ira tucked her silver lock of hair behind her ear, “Maybe you could teach me sometime?”

Marco started, almost stumbling as they walked. This could be his chance to turn her tide! Maybe they could get her on their side after all. “That would be cool!” Marco smiled back at her, “I’m sure we could both learn a lot.”

“Yeah,” Ira smiled a soft little smile that Marco thought looked nice, if not a little out of place on her face.

They reached the chamber where Star was waiting to receive people, and Ira rotated Gaige out of the guard as Marco went to his seat to join Star. “Hey,” She smiled at him, sitting straighter in her throne, “You look like you’re in a good mood.”

“I just…” Marco struggled to find the words to explain how he was feeling, “I feel like maybe we do have a chance. Is that crazy? I mean, it doesn’t mean things are going to go great, because most times they end up really wrong, but maybe they won’t this time? I—”

“Marco,” Star cut him off, “You’re rambling. I’m glad you think things are going to go okay. That makes one of us at least.”

“Hey,” Marco couldn’t resist touching her hand to his, even though it was not an outright embrace, “We’ll get through it, just like we always do.”

“I know,” Star smiled at him, and it made his heart flutter to see the sincerity in her gaze.

It was at that moment that Oberon Ghelle entered the chambers, and several things happened at once. Ira and Ysa both took a step closer to Oberon, Oberon’s eyes fell on Marco and Star’s hands, and Marco retracted his hand as if he had been burnt.

He wasn’t embarrassed or anything, but the last thing he wanted to do was cause more trouble for Star. “Oberon!” Ira called out, “So good to see you!”

Oberon’s face shifted as he glanced at Ira, but Marco could still see the steel in his eyes. “And you as well,” Oberon replied smoothly, “I’m actually glad you are here to witness this, Ira. You and your family have been so gracious during my transition. You’re one of my closest friends, you know.”

Ira laughed, and Marco could see a pleased flush on her cheeks, “Of course, everybody loves you! But what am I witnessing?” She followed Oberon closer, until they were both a few feet from Star.

“Well,” Oberon’s eyes flashed to the two of them, “I’m rather impulsive as you know and I, well, I just wanted to visit my lovely Queen. I brought a gift actually.”

“You didn’t have to,” Star blurted immediately, her fingers tightening on the arms of her throne.

“I think I did,” Oberon replied, and his smile reminded Marco of a shark that smelled blood in the water. He felt his own fingers clenching, already unsure of this guy. It did nothing for his nerves when Oberon dropped to one knee. His long, pale arm extended until he revealed a sparkling gem encased by two golden loops. “I realized that though I have stated my intentions, I’ve given you no object of my affections. While I did come from less than the ideal, I assure that this token represents all I am willing to do to gain the love of our Queen and kingdom. So I present this ring to represent the love I have for my Queen and kingdom, and of course, how delighted I am for our engagement.”

Marco’s heart dropped to his stomach as he watched the display with wide eyes. Star seemed equally stunned, her mouth dropping open. Ira gasped and then laughed, her eyes racing between the ring and Star, “Oh, how exciting, Your Majesty! I didn’t realize it was official!”

“I…didn’t either,” Star said, her voice faint as she stared at the ring. Marco could feel his heartbeat in his ears, and he could barely decipher the emotions rolling around his stomach. There was…there was jealousy, even though he knew Star wasn’t interested in Oberon, but there was also fear laced with shock. This had to change things. No matter what happened, change was a guarantee.

“Your parents and I came to a sufficient agreement, my love,” Oberon smiled, and though he was speaking to Star, his gaze was on Marco, “Your heart is mine, and my heart is now the royal family’s.”

Star suddenly staggered to her feet, and Marco jolted as well, watching as she stumbled down the steps. “This is, um, very overwhelming. I need…I need some air. You understand of course,” she spoke quickly, and did not stick around to see if they did indeed understand.

Marco stood, intent on going after her, but suddenly found Oberon in his way. “Ah, the Royal Protector. You and I will be seeing a lot more of each other,” Oberon flashed another predatory grin, “I guess this means we’ll both be keeping a very close eye on our Queen.”

“I—I guess,” Marco stuttered, caught off guard. The look in Oberon’s icy eyes hardened the jumble of emotions inside Marco into protectiveness. “While you’re here, I wanted to…to offer my condolences for your father. I guess it’s fortunate that you’ve found another family so…quick.”

Oberon’s eyes narrowed again, and his voice was no longer slick and oiled, “It was unfortunate what happened to my father. I suppose he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It can happen to a lot of people, I hear, it may even happen to you one day.”

Marco struggled to keep his eyebrows from rising, form acknowledging the literal death threat he was quite possibly receiving. Instead, he took a deep breath and muttered, “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” and pushed past Oberon.

He had to find Star.


	10. Possibilities

Though the castle was not as familiar to Marco as it was to Star, he knew her so well that it didn’t matter. She was outside the balcony of her room, perched on the railing, her dress billowing softly in the wind. “Star?” He approached her slowly, his heart still pounding.

She didn’t answer and he stepped closer, until he was pressing against the railing next to her. “Star?” He asked again, trying to glimpse her expression.

She finally looked at him, and her face crumpled as soon as she saw his, tears flooding down her cheeks. He was struck with a heavy sense of déjà vu, of that day they had received the letter, and it made his mouth even dryer.

Marco pulled her off of the ledge, crushing her against his chest. She hiccupped and sobbed against him, her hands rising to clutch at the fabric of his vest. “It’s…it’s going to be okay, Star…” Marco murmured into her hair, tears pricking at his own eyes. They had been through so much in their friendship, and yeah, they had eventually ended up okay but there were always bad things happening. They were always losing something, compromising on one side to make ends meet on the other.

They would not lose each other again.

“How can you say that?” Star struggled around the words, her voice pitching high and low in odd places, “Everything’s just—I can’t help anybody!”

“Star…” Marco shuddered, trying to force his insides to stop squirming, to just get his hear rate under control, “I know it’s hard. I know it’s always hard. But we can’t…if we give up now, Toffee wins. Oberon wins.”

“I…” Star pulled back, inhaling with a wet snort as she struggled to stop crying, “I just feel like I have no…no control over any of this.”

Marco wasn’t sure he could offer any platitudes that could help, so instead he rubbed circles on her back and whispered, “I know.”

“What are we going to do?” She moaned, her tears finally slowing, and laid her head back against his chest.

“Well,” Marco struggled to come up with an answer, “We need a plan, I guess. One thing at a time.”

“Okay,” Star took a deep, shuddery breath, “Okay.”

“Hey,” Marco’s heart was still pounding, and he knew it was stupid, knew that but he needed to say it anyway, “I love you, you know.”

Star’s smile was the strongest yet, and she replied softly, “Yeah, I do know that.”

“Good,” Marco smiled down at her, the tensions finally easing from his chest. Hesitantly, he asked, “You’re…you’re not really going to marry that guy are you?”

“Of course not!” Star pulled back again, shooting him a disgusted look, “He gives me the creeps.”

“Yeah, I think he threatened me right after you left,” Marco said offhandedly, finally stepping back from their embrace, “There’s definitely something up with him.”

“My parents don’t think so,” Star said miserably, leaning back against the railing, “They think me marrying him will ease the tension between the people and the crown.”

“So you’re paying for their mistakes? That’s messed up,” Marco scoffed, turning and leaning against the railing next to her so that they were pressed side to side. Star nodded in agreement, but remained silent, so he continued, “There’s gotta be some way to change their mind, right?”

“I don’t know,” Star sighed, “My mom’s pretty mad at me right now. I get that she’s…if she thought I was irresponsible, why not let me get it out of my system more on Earth?”

“Maybe she just wanted you closer?” Marco shrugged, “Maybe once she sees you’re right about Toffee, she’ll listen to you about Oberon. We’ve got be able to find something on him.”

“Maybe,” Star turned toward him, a mischievous smile inching across her face, “Or maybe I could just ruin my honor so that they couldn’t marry me off anymore.”

“Oh yeah?” Marco snorted, “And how would you do that?”

Star pushed off the balcony, taking a few steps back toward her bedchamber, “Oh, I don’t know. Something like eloping with the Royal Protector would cause a stir, I’m sure.”

Marco felt fire catch across his face instantly, and his voice was definitely higher as he followed her, “We’ll call that Plan B.”

Things seemed a little calmer in the hours following. Even if Star was now supposedly engaged, it wasn’t like they’d be getting married any time soon. Star and Marco had time to plan, to fight before then. Marco had left Star back at the throne room, where Oberon had mysteriously disappeared from.

He’d left the ring behind, sitting in the center of Star’s throne. Marco found himself hating the vibrant green shine of the gem, and personally he found the gold bands tacky. Star had crushed it in her palm before handing it off to Ysa to store for “safe keeping.”

Marco had taken his exit then, almost immediately bumping into Roy stepping in from the court yard. “Marco!” Roy’s voice always seemed to be pleasant and rumbling, and it almost reminded Marco of his father. “Just the man I was looking for!”

Roy led Marco back outside, presenting him with some newly fashioned gauntlets, both of them the perfect shade of red.

“Whoa! These are awesome!” Marco said in amazement, pulling them on. They were snug but sturdy, a flexible armor.

Roy grinned, “Gaige made ‘em special. See, squeeze this with your finger, yeah—!” A wide slanted blade slid out of the gauntlets from right above his knuckles, effectively creating two spikes. Marco stared down at them in a mix of fear and awe.

“And that’s not all!” Roy seemed so excited, “Bring your forearms up, block…”

Marco slowly did what the Prisman said, bringing his fists up to his face, the blades blocking his vision. They shimmered for a moment before seeming to lock together in the shape of a heart—a shield. Stunned, Marco gently separated them, but it was like they weren’t even connected in the first place, the heart shield disintegrating. It appeared just as quickly when he pressed them together again.

“This is so cool!” Marco giggled, examining them closely.

“Glad you approve!” Roy nodded, “We can begin training with them the day after tomorrow.”

“Why the gap?” Marco asked, looking up from the gauntlets.

“Tomorrow’s the Corful Celebration,” Roy said matter-of-factly, “They’re probably setting up at The Deck right now. It’ll be your first…field assignment with the Queen.”

“W-What do you mean?” Marco stuttered, praying that his cheeks would not betray him.

“As Lord Protector?” Roy said like he thought Marco was stupid.

Marco laughed weakly, nodding. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“The celebration starts just before dawn and lasts until the sun sets. You’d better get a good night’s sleep,” Roy winked, leaving Marco alone.

Marco sat in the grass, playing with the new weapons he’d been gifted. They were pretty sharp, which was both cool and made him a little cautious. There were a few people passing by that paid him no mind, carrying things like tables and cloths, obviously setting up for tomorrow. It was obvious now, especially with Star’s recent engagement, that they couldn’t go _together_ together, but at least they would be near.

He wondered if, in a different universe, they could have. If somewhere there was a Marco and a Star who had done something about their feelings sooner, if they had gotten out of their own way. He imagined going to a Love Sentence concert with her, or a fancy ball on Mewni.

Marco tilted his face up to the sun and let the fantasies drift away, because honestly, he was lucky enough to be here now. He wouldn’t trade their relationship for anything.

* * *

“Marco!” Star grunted, jarring him out of sleep as she landed on top of him. She wasn’t wearing a nightgown, or even a ball gown, and he noticed her devil headband replaced her tiara. Her face was illuminated by an orange glow from outside, leading Marco to believe he’d slept past the sunrise. He was late!

“What?” He shot up, knocking her backwards.

“We need to go! Get your things, now!” Star was frantic, and he frowned, touching her arm.

“What’s s going on?” He rubbed his eyes, blinking when he realized she was wearing that hoodie again, this time over her old clothes.

“The monsters are attacking!” She hissed frantically, “They’re burning everything!”

“What!” He cried, hopping out of bed. He realized the glow was coming from the fires outside, a low hum under the cry of clashing weapons.

“Please, we have to hurry!” Star begged, sliding off his bed and tossing clothes at him, “We need to get my book!”

“Okay, okay!” He didn’t have the mental capacity to feel embarrassed as he pulled off his night shirt, leaving him practically naked. He pulled his jeans roughly over his boxers and scrambled to put on a shirt and his vest.

Star stared at him before realizing what she was doing, averting her eyes. “Come on!”

“Wait! We have to grab my gauntlets!” Marco swiped them on the way out, following Star as she ran down the hall. They skidded into a small room off to the side, where the book lay on a pedestal. Star grabbed it with both hands, shoving it into Marco’s arms so she could shrink it to fit in her bag.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Glossaryck cried, squeezing out from between the pages.

“Sorry, Glossaryck!” Star called, already scrambling out of the room. “The castle defenses should be enough to hold them off—this is our chance to leave!”

“Wait, what?” Marco questioned, confused. “Aren’t we going to fight?”

“We’re going to fight!” Star assured, “We just have to be, y’know, safe! Ludo can’t get the wand or the book, which means we can’t stay at the castle!”

“So, what? Just blast a path through?” Marco cried, slowing to a stop in front of one of the side doors.

“We do what we need to!” Star panted, her hand on his arm, “Stay close, okay?”

“Uh, yeah,” Marco nodded, trying to catch his breath, not expecting the kiss she pressed to his lips.

“Oh boy,” Glossaryck deadpanned.

Marco rolled his eyes, steadying himself as Star kicked open the door, facing them with pure chaos.


	11. Chaos

The Deck was a haze of smoke and sparks as the monsters fought against the Mewmans, and Marco had to blink rapidly to see through it. Glossaryck offered a short, “Nope!” and flew into the pocket of Marco’s hoodie. Star stared at her land in shock, her blue eyes wide and shining with the reflection of the chaos. “Oh my god…”

Star shook her head and grabbed Marco’s hand, “We have to move.”

They only made it a few feet before the battle shifted to absorb them, a few monsters running, snarling at them. Marco didn’t recognize many of them, and he was even more unsettled by the electric green of their pupils. Though the monsters differed in size and shape, they all shared those ghostly eyes. He could recognize the Color Guard scattered in the crowd among River and the common people, just barely through the smoke.

Neither of the sides seemed to recognize Star as the Queen, probably due to the fog around them. Marco shoved her back and flexed his fingers. He’d only gotten the gauntlets yesterday, so he’d have to get used to them. He blocked two separate blows with each forearm before remembering that he could turn them into an actual shield. Marco used the monsters’ momentum against them, shoving them to the side as they came. “Whoa!” Star gasped from his shoulder, “Those are so cool!”

“I know, right!” He laughed, angling the shield so it caught a monster in the torso. Unfortunately, their voices drew the attention of Ira and Victor. The two of them dispatched a few monsters in the area before making their way to Star and Marco. Both of their armors were covered in something slimy and yellow, and Marco realized it was monster blood.

“What are you doing here?” Victor roared, spit flying from his mouth as he swung his hammer at a string of incoming monsters. His helmet had to have been lost in the battle, because Ira was wearing hers.

“Your Majesty, it’s not safe!” Ira cried, gripping her extended sickle. She squeezed the handle so that it retracted, shrinking it to a normal, close quarters reach.

“Don’t worry about me! Just fight!” Star shouted, pointing behind Ira.

“It’s our job to protect you!” Ira plead back, hooking her sickle into the neck of the nearest monster.

“Star!” Marco shouted, his voice cracking. She ducked the swing of a spiked club just in time, and Victor surged backward to grab her, but Marco had already yanked her away—deeper into the fray. The monsters were vicious, and Marco didn’t want to use the blades on his gauntlets, but he was afraid he’d have to.

“Your Majesty, please!” Ira said desperately, “Marco! You’re her Lord Protector, what the heck do you think you’re doing?”

Marco ignored her, panting as he grabbed Star’s arm,  _“You have to use your wand.”_

Star let out a heavy breath, her eyes darting around from the monsters to Ira and Victor to Marco, “There’s no going back after this.” Her words were firm and scared and full of finality.

“I’m with you,” he said just as sincerely, unaware of a smaller monster barreling towards him. The snarling, furry mess crashed on top of him, knocking the breath out of him. Marco panicked, struggling to keep the monster’s sharp fangs away from his neck. The monster was shot off of him in a familiar blast of pink.

Marco scrambled to his feet, fist bumping Star weakly, “Thanks, Star.”

“No problem,” she looked at the crowd around her, and then back at him, “Let’s kick some butt!”

Marco grinned, locking their grip together and pivoting, launching her into the fray with a delighted laugh. He watched as she blasted a group of monsters with a Wornicorn Tornado, almost missing Victor’s giant hammer swinging toward his head.

“You’re going to get her killed!” The man howled, winding up for another swing, “I’m sick of this! You’re going to be dealt with  _now!”_

“Whoa!” Marco leapt away from Victor, who looked mad enough to be a monster, “Star’s fine!”

Victor didn’t respond, only bringing his hammer down to slam the ground, causing some monsters and Marco nearby to stumble and fall.

The wind was knocked out of Marco again and he struggled to keep Victor at bay with his feet. Victor used his weight to drop to the ground, on top of Marco. In panic, Marco squeezed the point on his gauntlets to make the blades slide out, one of them managing to nick Victor’s cheek. Marco’s eyes widened as the man realized what had happened, staring down at Marco with rage for a moment before sitting up on his knees.

“Sorry, sorry, so—“ He wrapped his thick fingers around Marco’s throat and grinned, like he had found his life’s purpose.

Marco’s fingers scrabbled at Victor’s hands, but Victor was too strong and Marco wasn’t strong enough.  _I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die—_

Victor fell away from Marco as he was blasted off by Star, who was fighting a few feet away. “Marco!” she cried, running toward him once he stood, trying to regain his bearings, “Catch me!”

“On it!” He brought up his heart shield just as she jumped, her feet finding purchase at just the right moment to launch her into the air above the fight. It was a move they had practiced months and months ago, with a trashcan lid and pillows on the ground. Marco rolled forward, sweeping his leg out, knocking down the closest monster.

“Turbo Nuclear Butterfly Blast!” Star screeched, her wand pointed at the ground, creating a brilliant yellow shock wave that cleared a path out of the fight. The energy beneath her made her fall more of a flutter, but Marco caught her anyway. They found a perfect harmony in their fighting a long time ago, and time hadn’t been able to change that. “Okay, let’s go!”

Star grabbed Marco’s hand again, pulling him toward the path, the two of them hidden in the confusion the blast had created to the other fighters.

Marco looked back at Butterfly Castle, and he could just make out Ira, standing there staring after them with such a betrayed look, her helmet hanging limply in her hands.

 They ran until they couldn’t hear the fighting anymore, the roads empty. Dawn had finally burst over the horizon, lighting their way just enough that they didn’t need to use Star’s wand as a flashlight. Glossaryck was sitting on Marco’s shoulder, digging his grubby little hands into a mini bag of corn chips. “I’m just asking, what’s your plan?”

Star looked at the small blue gremlin, “We…we can’t go back. They’ll send Marco back, they’ll…I don’t know, accuse me of going rogue?”

“They might accuse you of pulling an Eclipsa,” Glossaryck offered, “Well, your mom won’t. She’ll think you ran away with your lover.”

Marco scoffed, his cheeks burning, “I’m sure that’s not true. They’ll probably think I cursed her or something.”

“Mm,” Star grimaced, “Victor will have your head. Or maybe Oberon. We are engaged, Marco, it would be so improper for you to steal me away like that.”

Glossaryck shrugged, “At least he’s not a monster.”

“Oh my God,” Star hid her face behind her hands, “What are we going to do?”

“Keep walking,” Glossaryck said, his voice firm, “There’s got to be an end somewhere, hasn’t there?”

Marco rolled his eyes, “Thanks a lot, Glossaryck. Real helpful.”

He didn’t answer, instead tipping his head back and dumping the rest of the chips into his mouth. He choked, and Marco bit back a smile.

They walked on in silence, the districts shifting from class to class. Marco had suggested they stay off to the side in case anybody saw Star, but all the windows in all the houses were shuttered and still. It was disconcerting, and Marco felt like he was in one of those low budget apocalypse movies on TV. He slipped his hand into Star’s, and she glanced at him appreciatively.

“Your mother doesn’t think it’s Toffee, y’know,” Glossaryck said, reclining on Marco’s shoulder.

“We know, Glossaryck,” Star sighed, rolling her eyes, “but she’s wrong.”

“What if you are too? Magic and monsters aren’t exclusive to Mewni,” Glossaryck said thoughtfully, as if he was trying to work out the problem for himself.

“Ever heard of Occam’s razor?” Marco pursed his lips, craning his neck to glance at the small being.

“Marco! Do I look like an extradimensional being who needs to shave?” Glossaryck drawled, rolling his eyes.

“No!” Marco huffed, “It means the simplest explanation is probably the right one. Which means Buff Frog is right about Ludo and Toffee.”

“Or he’s setting a trap for Queen Star Butterfly and her Royal Protector to be eaten before she produces an heir. Where would I work then?” Glossaryck asked, causing Marco to flick him off his shoulder.

“Buff Frog isn’t lying. He’s good,” Star said quietly, “Some are good.”

“Maybe you’re more like Eclipsa than we thought,” Glossaryck mused, floating between them.

Star decided the best place to go if they wanted to stay on Mewni was the swamps. The land seemed to be as bare as the districts were, and Mewmans wouldn’t come looking for Star and Marco there. “I don’t think this is safe, Star…” Marco said nervously, standing close to her.

“Do you have a better plan?” She leveled a look at him, searching his face.

“Well, no,” his shoulders slumped, “But what if there are some monsters left? What if Ludo and Toffee are in there, waiting for us?”

She took a deep breath, sweeping her hair back, “Then we fight them. I didn’t see either of them at the castle, so chances are…either they find us or we find them.”

“Can we even take them?” He asked weakly, glancing behind them, back at the bright landscape they had walked through.

“Who else will?” Star said softly before taking his hand and tugging him forward.

Their walk fell silent again, this time with nervous energy buzzing around them. Glossaryck slipped into Star’s bag, back between the pages of her book, Marco assumed. The trees seemed to reach over them, trapping the two and forcing them forward. Marco took to squeezing Star’s hand intermittently, for his benefit and for hers.

Finally, the darkness that the trees wrought was broken by a hazy clearing, and they tread carefully over the mud. “Look!” Star whispered, pointing at a dilapidated shack on the other side of the clearing. “Let’s stop there!”

“What if that’s their lair?” Marco hissed back, peering at the building.

“Oh, come on!” She rolled her eyes, “There’s no way  _that’s_  their lair. It’s probably abandoned.”

Marco pursed his lips, “For the record, I think this is a bad idea. Bad.”

“Noted,” she shook her head as they crept forward, peeking in the windows. It seemed empty and dusty, and Marco fought the urge to cough.

Star made her way to the door, which was not very secure. Carefully, she pushed it open with the end of her wand, and Marco brought his gauntlets into the shield position. The door swung forward with a loud creek, causing both of them to cringe. The inside of the shack remained still, so both of them crept further in until they were standing in the middle of a living room-slash-kitchen. “See! This isn’t so bad!” Star said, just as the door swung closed behind them and a large hulking figure leaped out from the shadows.

“I was right!” Marco squealed, hopping into Star’s arms, realizing that Buff Frog was watching them with confusion.

“What are you doing here?” Buff Frog asked, scratching his head.

“What are  _you_  doing here?” Star echoed, gently separating herself from Marco.

“This is my house…?” Buff Frog answered slowly, glancing between them.

“Oh!” Star laughed nervously, “Um, sorry. We…we’re on the run. We didn’t think anyone was here.”

“On the run?” Buff Frog asked, alarmed, “You’d better sit—tell me everything.”

Star and Marco shared the tale of the attack, and Buff Frog listened intently while juggling entertaining his children. Star bounced Katrina gently in her lap while they talked, and Marco couldn’t help but admire how cute it was. “We…we need to stop Ludo and Toffee. Before more people get hurt.”

“I do know where the lair is,” Buff Frog admitted, “But…you two cannot take it, even with magic. There are too many minions…”

“We know,” Marco sighed, frowning at Star.

“You need backup,” Buff Frog said firmly, “What about your army?”

“I…I don’t have an army,” Star said, embarrassed, “I have a private guard, but there hasn’t been a need for one…”

“Yikes,” Buff Frog said, and Marco had to agree.

“So if we get help, you’ll take us to the lair?” Star tried again, desperate for a solution.

“I will help you myself,” Buff Frog promised, “For my children.”

“Thank you,” Star said sincerely, setting Katrina down. “We just need to…oh, shoot.”

“What?” Marco dreaded her answer, “What else could possibly be against us?”

“Buff Frog…” Star started sheepishly, “You wouldn’t happen to have a pair of dimensional scissors, would you?”


	12. Boot and Rally

The Underworld was humid and unwelcoming, but Marco and Star decided to go there first. Marco had only been briefly a handful of times, and had only visited Tom’s home. The long, jagged roads of the Underworld were lined with smoldering brick, prompting the two to walk quickly so their shoes wouldn’t melt. “Is it always like this?” Marco asked, his voice low as he glanced at the sky.

Different shades of pink, purple, and gold filtered across the sky, and it looked like a permanent sunset. It was beautiful, to be sure, but also vaguely suppressing. “It’s just the way it is,” Star responded, peering into the distance. It looked like there were more caves than houses, and in the distance, there was an intricate gateway. “Hopefully no one sees us.”

“That would be bad,” Marco agreed, hunching lower as they scuttled toward the gateway. Star was sure that her parents would have reached out to all of her old acquaintances, either to inform them that the monsters had attacked the castle, or to announce the death of Queen Star Butterfly.

They made it to the gate after taking careful precautions not to be seen. Marco was only a little surprised that there was nothing beyond the gate, “What do we do now?”

“We go down,” Star rolled her eyes, “…but we can’t use the front door.”

“Remind me why we couldn’t just scissor into Tom’s room?” Marco sighed, glancing up at the sky.

“Because they have defenses. They’ll know something’s up—we have Buff Frog’s scissors after all,” Star examined the wooden gateway, pressing her fingers gently around different parts of the structure, “Luckily, I know a passage straight to Tom’s room.”

Marco blinked, “…and you know that how?”

“Don’t worry about it,” she busied herself with pushing in the wood panels, “Now…I think…this is the right—“

The ground dropped out from under them, and for one moment, they were both cartoonishly suspended in empty air. The wind was knocked out of Marco as his back crashed into the ground, the occasional rock jabbing him as they slid down a tunnel. The two of them landed on top of each other, surrounded by sharp stalagmites.

“I thought you knew where we were going!” Marco wheezed.

Her reply was an unintelligible groan as she rolled off of him. Marco stared at the rocky ceiling as his breath came back to him, his body aching from the fall. Star sat up slowly, looking around, “Well, this definitely could have gone better.”

“Oh, man,” Marco moaned, glancing around their cage, “This is really bad.”

“It…could be worse,” Star reached out to one of the stalagmites.

“It could be better!” Marco said, panic beginning to set in, “We should have gone to Pony Head’s!”

Star ignored him, climbing to her feet. “Maybe we can bust out of here?”

“We’re underground,” Marco looked up the tunnel they had fallen down, “We’d never get out without them knowing.”

“I think—“ Star was cut off as a door slid open, a tall, thin figure walking through. Star backed away, extending her hand until she touched Marco. “Stay cool,” she murmured.

“Who could possibly dare to try and break into the Under Castle—wait, is that you guys?” It was Tom, in a purple velvet suit and shock plain on his face. “If—If you’re here for the party, you’re a little early.”

“Tom!” Marco shot up, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but thank God it’s you!”

“I…” Tom frowned, tilting his head, “…am not sure if I’m supposed to take that as a compliment?”

“Tom, we need your help!” Star stepped closer to the bars. “Has Mewni contacted you at all?”

“They asked for an audience for tomorrow,” Tom frowned, still terribly confused, “but…aren’t  _you_ Mewni?”

“Yes, kind of, sort of,” Star fretted, “There’s a…lot going on. Basically the monsters are…planning a rebellion, but nobody in my court believed us. Then they attacked the castle, and Marco and I escaped.”

“We’re going to take them down,” Marco supplied, “But Ludo and Toffee have an army, and we can’t do it alone.”

“So you guys thought you’d break into my house?” Tom leaned against the bars, peering at the two of them.

“We were trying to get to your room,” Star explained, “If Mewni finds out we’re here, they’ll….well, we don’t know what they’ll do, but we don’t want to find out!”

Tom considered them for a moment, his face drawn. He’d grown since Marco had last seen him, becoming even taller and more filled out. He’d apparently traded in his old garb for the purple suit, and Marco had to admit that it suited him. Marco hoped that he’d finally managed to get his anger issues under control, because there was no way they could fight him  _and_  Ludo and Toffee.

“Alright,” Tom shrugged, “but we need to be back in two days. I’m gonna be a little pissed if I miss my coronation.”

“Whoa, wait,” Marco’s brows drew together, “it’s that easy?”

“I’d be careful what you say,” Tom’s gaze shifted to Marco, smiling as his eyes glowed pink, “You’re still in my cage.”

“Right, right, right,” Marco backed away, nodding.

Star smiled, bouncing on her toes, “Thank you, Tom!”

The dimension of Uni was a stark contrast to the Underworld. Where the Underworld had been heat and warm colors, Uni was cool and bright. Star was much more familiar with the security here, and they were able to scissor directly onto the grounds the castle sat on. “What’s our plan?” Tom whispered, squinting in the bright light.

“We sneak in through a window and get to her room. Nobody but her ever goes in there,” Star peeked over the bush they were hiding behind.

“What if the windows are locked?” Marco asked, biting his lip. The sharp points on the flying soldier’s horns made him nervous.

“I mean…they probably aren’t,” Star answered uncertainly.

“Oh my god,” Marco facepalmed, jumping when Star suddenly shot forward. “Wait for me!”

They crept closer to the castle until they were directly under a window, and Tom turned to Marco, “I like sneaking around like this—makes me feel like a spy.”

“Makes me feel like we’re going to get caught,” Marco retorted, watching Star attempt to jimmy the window open. Just when she accidentally forced it open with a loud crack, the front doors of the castle flew open, covering the noise. The three of them jumped, and Marco automatically found Star’s hand.

“Thank you for hearing us,” Someone familiar was saying, “As we explained, it was urgent.”

“Wait…” Marco frowned, “Is that Gaige?”

“Of course!” King Pony Head said, “You have our full support in this trying time.”

“We are glad to hear it,” A different voice, Ysa, said, “You must understand how stressful the situation is.”

“I can only imagine!” The King nodded, “Having some vagrant kidnap dear Miss Butterfly…”

“I told you!” Marco hissed, pointing in Star’s face.

“Let’s just get out of here,” She narrowed her eyes, “The quicker we meet Pony, the quicker we can save Mewni.”

The three of them vaulted through the window—well, Tom levitated himself, shooting Marco a smug look. Thankfully the room was empty, and it didn’t take them long to sneak through the halls to Pony Head’s room. There were only a few guards patrolling, most of them probably seeing the guests off. Star knew the quickest way to the room, and they were outside the great purple doors in no time.

“It’s locked!” Marco said, looking back at the other two with wide eyes.

“I think I know a spell for this…” Star crept forward, carefully pulling her wand out. Marco prayed that the spell wouldn’t be loud or draw attention. Thankfully, there was a small poof as a pink key made of smoke quietly slid into the lock. “Yes!”

The doors were unnaturally light, and Marco almost fell forward when he went to shoulder them open. He wasn’t expecting Pony Head to be pointing her horn right at him, so he stumbled back in shock. Tom caught him, and Pony Head just stared at the three of them in confusion. Finally, she said, “Well, well, well, look who it is.”

“Pony Head!” Star cried in a loud whisper, “I’ve missed you so much!”

Pony Head pursed her lips, “Mhm, I’m sure. That’s why you cut all contact with me when you became a stuckup Queen?”

Marco gaped at Star, and Tom muttered, “Ouch.”

Star looked away, “I…I didn’t have a choice, Pony.”

“Well, you’re here now, ain’t you?” Pony Head glared, “And with a stinkin’ Earth Turd, no less.”

“We need your help, Pony,” Marco started, but Pony Head shot him a look.

“I don’t wanna hear it!” Pony Head shouted, shifting her gaze back to Star, “I thought we were besties, girl! Besties for life!”

“We are!” Star stepped forward, “I couldn’t leave Mewni! They wouldn’t let me out of their sight!”

“I know you know phones exist!” Pony Head glared.

“Pony Head…” Star’s voice was full of remorse, “I’m sorry.”

Pony Head was quiet for one of the first times Marco had ever seen, and he sure that it was over, that they’d have to escape before she called the guards. The room was silent as they all stared at each other, and Marco had the urge to hold Star’s hand again. Finally, Pony Head let out a deep breath, “Okay, I forgive you. But you better make it up to me! I’m talking, like, a double goblin dog party at the club!”

“Pony Head!” Star cried, flying forward and hugging her best friend. Pony Head hugged her back, or at least, that’s what it looked like she was trying to do to Marco.

“Now what’s all this noise about?” Pony Head asked.

“We’re going to kick some butt,” Tom offered.

“Some monster butt,” Marco nodded, “but we couldn’t do it without you.”

“Oh, hell yeah!” Pony Head grinned, “Of course I’m in!”

“Really?” Star asked, her lip wobbling.

“I got your back, girl,” Ponyhead nodded, “Now where these monsters at?”

Scissoring back to Buff Frog’s shack was easy, and they all settled at his table to plan their attack. It was odd to see Pony Head and Tom and Buff Frog and Glossaryck together, and Marco couldn’t shake the feeling that they were going to change everything. He found himself watching Star as the others argued about what to do with the little information they had.

Marco had seen her be a queen before, had seen her take charge, and had even seen her acting regal, but this was  _different._ Something about the crease between her eyebrows or the way she wasn’t chewing on her wand or the way her gaze was focused made it  _real._ She noticed him staring and that gaze shifted to him, making him blush. The way she was looking at him was everything.

He stepped back from the table and she did the same, drawing into a corner by themselves. “Do you really think this will work?”

“It’s all we have, so…yeah,” she sighed, leaning into him. “I’m glad you came to Mewni—I couldn’t do this without you.”

Marco bit his lip before asking uncertainly, “Would you even have to do it if I had never come here?”

Star frowned up at him, “Ludo was building this army before you came here—they would have attacked either way.”

“What would you have done if I wasn’t here?” Marco watched as she shook her head.

“I don’t know. I don’t want to think about it,” she answered. “You’re here.  _We’re_  here. That’s what matters.”

“Yeah,” he finally nodded, “I guess you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right,” she stuck her tongue out at him and he rolled his eyes, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

“I love you,” he murmured, his lips warm against her skin.

“I love you too,” she sighed back, wrapping her arms around his middle. Marco glanced back at the table, determined to see the change they were about to cause through.


	13. The Monsters Inside

Marco had known that it was going to be difficult. There was no denying that the five of them were going up against very dangerous monsters, that the stakes were higher than they’d ever been. Following Buff Frog through the swamp to Ludo’s underground lair, hand in hand with Star, joking with Tom and Pony so that they didn’t have to think about what they were doing, Marco had felt a rolling sensation in his chest. He thought maybe it was hope, or confidence that they could  _do this._

The sensation was actually dread, and Marco realized it the moment they stood face to face with a sea of green-eyed monsters. There were no words, just a few deep breaths before both sides were hurtling towards each other. Buff Frog had hopped into the crowd, slamming his legs into the ground in a shockwave that knocked the monsters around him to the floor.

It caused the horde to recalibrate, swimming around the shockwave. Star shouted and pointed her wand straight ahead, firing spell after spell trying to push the monsters back and create some space. When she got as much space as she could, she shouted, “Tom! We need a barrier!”

“On it!” He shouted back, floating into the air and clenching his fist. A row of jagged rock erupted from the ground, impaling one or two monsters and throwing back many others. It was by no means stopping them, but it did slow them down. Pony Head was quickly zapping monsters with stunning precision that Marco didn’t have time to verbally appreciate. Instead, he began knock monsters off of the stalagmites, using the gauntlets to pack as much punch as he could.

Star had launched herself into the air as well, using her wings to hover above the crowd as best she could while she shot spells at the monsters. From time to time, they would cry out in pain, but otherwise they were relentless, trying to jump and reach at the feet of those who were flying. Buff Frog grabbed a few that were leaping out of midair and hurled them at the sharp rocks, or the ridges in the walls.

Marco had used his gauntlets to block blows from the snarling monsters, chilled by their dead eyes. One of them had managed to pin him on the ground, and he cried out as the bird-spider hybrid swiped at him. It was instinct for him to bring his hand up, and the blades on his gauntlet ejected, spraying Marco with a torrent of slimy yellow blood. He didn’t have time to be upset by it, to do much more than push the corpse off of him and dodge the following attacks.

Tom shot balls of flame into the crowd, laughing as the monsters scattered. Doing this, he was able to direct the flow of the horde away from his friends when it seemed like it was getting too thick around them. Marco and Buff Frog benefitted from this especially.

The group fought well, especially against an army of rabid monsters, but it was unsustainable. There were too many monsters for the five of them, and Star had trouble using powerful spells while avoiding her friends in the underground cave. “Marco!” Star grunted, stumbling back as a bear with the back of a crab shell rushed her. “We have to get to Ludo!”

“I know!” Marco panted, using his blades to jab at monsters.

“There is tunnel at far end of cave!” Buff Frog pointed, roundhousing a cat with large clubs for arms.

“We’ll hold them off!” Tom forced more giant chunks of rock from the ground, telekinetically clearing a path for them.

“Are you sure?” Marco glanced over at him. Tom’s suit was covered with dirt and ash, but his eyes were determined.

“Hell yeah!” Pony Head flew by, trying to keep the monsters from filling up the gap, “I could do this all day!”

“Go, go, go!” Buff Frog roared, and Marco started running, dodging jabs from various minions. Star was ahead of him, using her wand to shoot spells as she ran. The wand seemed like it was beginning to lose power, its vibrant blasts beginning to seem desaturated. Marco prayed it would have enough juice to finish Ludo.

The tunnel was cramped, but big enough for Marco and Star to jump into, sliding down further into cave. The end of the tunnel was in the side of a wall, dropping the two of them a few feet down onto a gleaming rock floor. It was polished, smooth, and Marco felt panic as soon as he saw it. “Are you okay?” Star groped blindly for him as she clumsily stood.

“I’m fine,” he wheezed, trying to get his breath back, “Where do we go?”

“Like wornicorns to slaughter…” A voice behind them cooed, and the hairs on the back of Marco’s next stood up.

“Toffee?” Star demanded, whirling around. The two of them were met with confusion, staring at Ludo, sitting on a gleaming throne. Though the body definitely belonged to Ludo, the way he held himself was...off. Ludo sat ramrod straight, his small legs crossed and his hands folded neatly in his lap. “You Butteflys are so predictable,” Ludo’s mouth opened and closed as he spoke, but it was not Ludo speaking. The once whiny, nasal voice was now slow and sure, composed in a way Ludo never could have achieved, no matter how many days he spent in the wilderness. “Especially you, Star. Your mother didn’t begin as a fighter, but you did.  I knew it wouldn’t take long before you decided to try your hand at eliminating a monster army.”

“What did you do to Ludo? To those monsters?” Star shouted, gripping her wand in her hand.

Ludo-Toffee waved a dismissive hand, “Ludo’s spirit was weak, mine was strong—it was simple, really. Cleaving my soul with those shards of your wand, understanding the power I developed—that was the complex part.”

“My wand is whole! I made new shards, I took back any of the power Ludo had!” Star snarled, glaring at the monster on the throne.

“Ah, but you see, my dear,  _Ludo_  never had any power to begin with. That was all me, all Toffee,” Toffee grinned a predatory smile, and Marco flexed his fingers. The blades on his gauntlets were chipped and cracked, but they would do their job.

“You won’t get away with this!” Marco seethed.

“Get away with what?” Toffee laughed, “The thing about revenge is that there are so many possibilities! I could overtake Butterfly Castle with my army, slaughter every last Mewman until only the monsters are left to claim what’s theirs. I could extinguish any flame of magic in this wretched dimension, even the odds. Or I could assassinate the Queen herself, ending the Butterfly line forever.”

“We’ll destroy you this time!” Marco shouted, stepping forward. “You won’t touch one hair on Star’s head!”

“Obviously,” Toffee was beginning to sound bored, “I will not dirty my hands with her blood—you will.”

“What?” Star and Marco responded in unison, both of them stepping back from the throne.

“You’ve both got a little monster in you,” Toffee smiled, leaning forward, “and I intend to release it.”

“What’s he talking about?” Marco squinted, and Star shook her head.

It started with a tingle that ran up and down his arm, a ghost of something Marco had struggled to forget. Marco tried to shake the sensation out of his arm, looking up to find Star rapidly blinking at him. “What’s happening?” He shouted over the static creeping it’s way into his head.

_You want to hurt._

“No! Yes! I—ugh!” Marco squeezed his eyes shut as he felt his arm begin to expand and strengthen, his gauntlet splitting and falling to the floor.

Star cried out next to Marco, forcing his eyes open again, “Agh!” She had dropped her wand, her fingers twitching as she dealt with whatever was inside her. Giant purple, translucent wings that reminded Marco of flower petals sprouted from her back and the hearts on her cheeks were fading from their usual rose to plum.

“S-Star!” He reached out a hand to steady her, but as soon his hand met her arm, something inside them snapped.

_You want to hurt **her.**_

Monster Arm lashed out to hit Star, but she was quick even if she was only half transformed. “This should be interesting,” Toffee sighed, but the words were garbled in Marco’s brain, his focus trained on Star. Her eyes glowed a bright green as she shot purple webbing at him, trying to trap him. Marco snarled and used Monster Arm to vault himself into the air, aiming a kick in her side. Star hissed at the blow, darting away and shooting wads of webbing at Marco’s body, slamming him back into the ground. Monster Arm laughed and shot out to wrap around her, yanking her out of the air and smashing her against the polished rock.

Star roared, breaking his hold and flying crookedly away. She perched on the back of Toffee’s throne, and Monster Arm jabbed after her. She swatted the tentacle down, and it smacked Toffee’s little chicken body.

For a moment, Marco’s brain cleared. Toffee was the enemy, not Star. Toffee rubbed the slime off of Ludo’s face, distracted. Marco reigned in any control he had over Monster Arm and wrapped the giant tentacle around Toffee, breathing heavily. There was a distant clanging sound from the other side of the tunnel. Star was still perched on the throne, her head titled as she watched Marco cautiously.

“S-Star!” He struggled to yell, “Toffee is the enemy! Not me!”

Toffee was struggling to escape Monster Arm, but Marco just focused on squeezing him tighter. “Help me!” Marco cried to Star, “Snap out of it!”

Star blinked at Marco, her shoulders sagging, but it wasn’t enough. “Marco…” Her voice was low, gravelly.

She pounced on him just as he brought his other arm up to form half of the heart shield, sliding backwards and banging his head into the ground. He fought to keep his hold on Toffee tight, even over the stretched distance. Star was on top of him, her wings slowly settling down over them. “Star,” he said weakly, trying to get his voice back, “We need to fight Toffee.”

The green of her eyes flickered, but she didn’t move from her spot above him. He could feel something warm and sticky on his forehead, and his strength waning. “Star,” he tried again, “I love you.”

“Mar-co,” She said, her eyes twitching. He could feel Toffee slipping free.

“I love you,” Marco repeated, pressing his lips to hers.

Star gasped into the kiss and when Marco opened his eyes, there was none of the sickly green left in hers. “Marco!” Her eyes roamed over his face, “You’re bleeding!”

“M’okay! Get Toffee!” He snapped up, shoving her off of him as Monster Arm snapped back to its normal length.

“Right!” She scrambled toward her wand, lying a few feet from them. Toffee was panting, standing up on the seat of his throne.

“Even if you kill me,” Toffee laughed, a manic sound that scared Marco, “there will always be another to take my place! The attack on your castle did not come without help.”

“What? Who?” Star demanded, grasping her wand firmly.

Marco caught sit of a brilliant green flash around Toffee’s neck and he pointed with a gasp, “Star! Look!”

Star recognized the gem too, the necklace that seemed part of a matching set that was missing it’s ring. “Closer than you think,” Toffee grinned.

“We’ll defeat him too!” Marco snarled, smearing the blood on his face as he tried to wipe it off.

“You cannot oppress monsters forever,” Toffee sneered, “Not even in yourselves.”

“They won’t be oppressed!” Star said, in that royal, even voice that left Marco in awe, “Things are going to change!” Her feet were spread evenly, her wand pointed straight at Toffee.

“They will never change,” Toffee spat, “Not as long as Mewmans have magic.”

“They can and they  _will!”_  Star shouted back, her eyes beginning to glow a brilliant white, “As long as I’m around, Mewmans will know the truth! About everything!”

“That’s a nice sentiment, but I’ve long learned never to trust a Butterlfy,” Toffee shook his head, glaring back at Star.

Marco watched as Star’s wand began to glow as well and she shook her head, “My word is good. After all, I promised I would defeat you.”

There was a moment of silence before a giant beam of red light shot out from the wand, engulfing Toffee in Ludo’s body. Bright green smoke began to pour out of Ludo, but the beam of light shattered into small spades that overtook the smoke, absorbing it and disappearing. Star fell to her knees as the blast waned before finally ending, and Marco scrambled toward her. “Marco…” she panted, “we did it.”

“We did it,” he nodded back, pressing a messy kiss to her forehead. Their hearts were pounding, their limbs were sore, and Marco felt like he could barely breathe, but they were both still _alive_ , finally safe together.


	14. Homecoming

Marco could barely recall making it back to Butterfly Castle. Monster Arm had disappeared when Toffee had, and Star’s wings had shrunken down to their normal size, her hearts a familiar rose. It was a sick satisfaction that Marco ripped the golden chain from Ludo’s neck, stuffing it back into his pocket.

Star and he had crawled back through the tunnel to find the Color Guard on the other side, face to face with Pony Head, Tom, and Buff Frog, who was clutching a sack that was peeping and wiggling. Star had ordered them to back away, leaning on Marco for support. She had threatened the Color Guard when they made to dispose of the many monsters laying about the caves, ordering everybody back to the castle.

Marco had been too weak to stay awake during the ride back, but Star had shaken him awake when they reached the castle. Together, the five of them made their way into the castle, bruised and bloody. Moon and River were waiting for them, and River ran the length of the hall to get to Star, “Starling! What are you doing with this disgusting thing? What’s gotten into you? Are you alright?”

“His name is Yvgeny Bulgoyaboff! And he gave Marco and me shelter as well as support in our crusade to stop Toffee! So you will refrain from slandering his name!” Star said, glaring at her father.

“What in the devil happened?” Moon demanded, looking to the Color Guard for answers. Marco noted that there were several flyaways in her hair, and she looked very tired.

“We tracked them to a cave,” Roy supplied, “When we entered, we found these three fighting a large quantity of monsters.”

“The monsters all dropped to the ground before we could assist, green smoke spilled from their bodies.” Yssa stepped in.

“Then these three resisted our questions,” Victor said snidely, glaring at Buff Frog in particular.

“The Queen reappeared with her Royal Protector and ordered us back here,” Gaige finished, bowing.

“We destroyed Toffee,” Marco said, very aware of the blood crusting on his face, “So…you’re welcome for that.”

“And we kept the book and Glossaryck safe,” Star pulled the book out of her bag, and Glossaryck peeked out from the pages.

“There was quite a lot of tumbling involved,” Glossaryck pursed his lips.

“The kingdom is safe,” Star continued “and it’s thanks to the work of my friends, especially Buff Frog here. You will give him and his babies a room to clean up in until I can speak to him, and you will not even frown his way, or I will come for you.”

“Thank you, Queen Star,” Buff Frog bowed, and Marco shot him a thumbs up. Ira seemed to seethe, glaring at Marco. He turned away from her gaze, ignoring the guilty niggling in the back of his mind that she had seemed to want to get to know him.

“Tom and Pony also need rooms,” Star said, “and I need someone to call a public announcement.”

River and Moon watched with open mouths, shocked at the scene before them. Star took a deep breath before turning her gaze on them, “We also have a traitor in the court—I think you’ll want to speak with Oberon. I’ll let his punishment fall on the people. Oh, Ophelia, can you come to my room to help Marco? Thank you.”

Marco fished the golden necklace out of his pocket and tossed it to the guards, just to punctuate Star's words. He felt pretty cool about it, if he was being honest.

“Star,” Moon watched her daughter, “…I’m sorry.”

Star glanced at her mother, frowning, “I know. That doesn’t make it hurt any less.”

 “Star,” Marco murmured, once they were safe in her room, “Are you okay?”

“No,” she said simply, “but we need to deal with the kingdom before I deal with me.”

Ophelia followed the two of them to Star’s bed, unpacking her medical supplies. “W-what are you going to do?” she asked Star.

“Well…” Star chewed on her wand as she watched Ophelia dab at Marco’s face with a wet cloth, “I’m going to make Buff Frog our Monster Ambassador.”

Marco’s eyes widened, “Really?”

“He deserves it,” Star sighed, “and the monsters need to have access to food and whatever else they need. This segregation is over.”

“Are you sure, Your Majesty?” Ophelia asked, shocked.

“Very sure,” Star nodded. “And…when things are balanced…we’re going back to Earth.”

 “Star…” Marco pushed Ophelia’s hands away, leaning close to Star. “I can be happy here. You don’t have to leave for me.”

“It’s for both of us.” Star caressed his cheek, “but we need to focus of Mewni right now; we can talk about Earth later. You don’t mind staying a little while, just to make sure things are okay? I can't do it without you.”

 "Of course," Marco grinned, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips, “Better to be safe than sorry.”

* * *

 

 The air was thick and heavy as they stepped through the portal, and Marco could already feel himself sweating. Star seemed to enjoy it, putting her bag down on the sidewalk in front of his house and twirling around. “I missed this!” She laughed, her voice light and breezy as the wind. Earth seemed almost exactly the same, and he had a hard time believing that when so much else had changed.

“Me too,” Marco said softly, watching the sun slide across her skin as she twirled, “Are you ready to go inside?”

Star stopped twirling and fixed him with a toothy grin. “I’m ready for anything!” She declared, marching a few steps forward.

“Good,” he fixed the strap of his duffel over his shoulder and slid his other hand into hers, “This could be the scariest thing we’ve ever faced.”

"I think we'll be okay," Star winked, squeezing his hand.

They walked to the door together, hand in hand, and Star knocked rapidly on it, her excitement getting the better of her. “Star! Marco!” Dad swung the door open, pulling them both inside before they could get a word in.

“Welcome home!” A chorus of voices shouted as soon as they made it over the threshold. There was a small gathering of people waiting for them, familiar faces that were waiting for new stories, new adventures.

“Than—” Marco started to say before he was crushed against his father’s chest. Marco felt himself relax into his father’s embrace, truly feeling welcomed home.

“Star! It’s so nice to see you again! Coming through the front door and everything!” Mom laughed, pulling Star in for a hug as well. They could see their friends over his parents shoulders, Janna and Jackie holding hands and waving at them.

“We missed you so much,” His father gushed, “The house was so lonely without you. It is so good for you to be back home.”

Marco laughed, pulling away from his dad, one of his hands still intertwined with Star’s. He caught her eye, smiling, his heart fluttering in his chest, “We’re glad to be home too.”


End file.
